blood moon
by aleushadrake
Summary: where things go bump in the night and hungry eyes graze over. its gaze heavy as it trails over your body like thick honey pouring over smooth flesh.
1. Chapter 1

CH1

_hiding in plain sight_

The group is together in the abandoned city streets, looking around in shock at the bizarre sound that seems to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at all. Yugi grips to Jous arm in desperation for safety, he holds rather tightly to to his small friend refusing to allow whatever is stalking them to have his friend. Honda has hands folded into tight fists raised at the ready, his back arched as he looks around seeing nothing but fallen leaves twirling along in a passing breeze.

They shouldn't have stayed out so late, they should have listened to Atem when he said he felt something was amiss this night, it worried him that the moon was bloody red. But Honda and Jou where so positive that whatever the city had to hold against them they could handle. In the distance something lands with a soft thump, a sound similar to that of a pillow hitting the floor.

All three of them jerk to the left as a man shaped creature steps on all fours outward toward them. It looks smaller than it is as it slinks forward from between to tall slate gray skyscrapers. As it walks forward to them it quickly becomes apparent, it's hungry. It has a slit like mouth thin almost non existent lips behind which can be seen uneven long narrow discolored needle like teeth. Colorless empty eyes gawk at them, Jou glares back terrified but not about to let the thing win and hurt his dear ones.

As he glares at the tall thing with its gnarled joints and stiff fibrous muscles stretching underneath its sallow almost translucent skin. It raises one hand out ward that reminds Jounouchi of a dead tree with gnarled twisted roots arcing upward to the sky.

Jou grips yugi stepping out in front of him, some how perfectly aware that running away is not an option. It cocks it head to the side looking almost curiously at them, the corners of its mouth raise upward into an impossible smile that causes hiroto hondas stomach to turn cold. They all pause at the rhythmic sound that looms nearer, after a moment they watch colorless eyes go wide as it mouth turns into an ugly grimace.

'thup thup thup'

The sound of unhurried footfalls comes nearer, the creature begins to back away. What is it that scares this thing, its body shifts weight, going from a prowling pose to one far more defensive. Its long sharp arms curl in at its sides, bizarre hands are opened wide causing its fingers to look something akin to rusted meat hooks. Jou arcs an eyebrow as the thing begins to back away, an attempt to return to the alley which it came from.

Honda refuses to let loose the sigh of relief as it dashes away, the footsteps stop. They are replaced by the sound of a horrid screaming yowl, which is accompanied by a thunderous crash and then silence.

A low moaning is heard, the sound spikes as a snapping crunching noise floats out from the alley. Something scrambling about, was it trying to get away? Jou grabs yugi in one arm and yanks honda out of the line of fire as the thing that threatened them earlier is pitched out of the darkness like a tattered rag doll. Neither honda nor yugi find themselves able to pry their eyes away from the crumpled body bleeding and gurgling just a few feet away, Jou however stares forward into the alley as their 'rescuer' resumes his unhurried walk.

'thup thup thup'

Jounouchi finds his breath caught in his throat as a tall slim figure steps out of the shadows. Following the sound, the other two turn to look at the figure that walks toward them, looking rather bored and only mildly interested.

"kaiba?"

He looks at them with his sharp blue eyes, one hand tucked in his pocket the other hanging at his side, dripping a thick syrupy rust colored fluid. Hearing his name called he turns his face only slightly, his neon blues focusing on Jounouchi.

"yes..."

A long scream echoes from the distance, kaiba closes his eyes and tilts his head to the side as he listens to the guttural sound. As it ends his eyes snap open, he stares at them with slight worry.

"follow"

He walks briskly along the streets, continually glancing over his broad shoulder at them. Yugi huffs and wheezes trying to keep up with their long legs and brisk pace. It seems useless as they keep going faster, until Jou grabs yugi and throws him over shoulder breaking into a run at the same time kaiba does. Honda keeps pace well enough, the sound repeats itself and Jou sees panic on kaibas face when he glances backward past them.

Shit.

He moves fast jerks left easily jumping a rather tall fence and landing with ease, Jou rolls off his shoulder into his arms shouting at kaiba.

"CATCH!"

He throws yugi who shrieks as he finds himself flailing in the air before landing with a loud huff into kaibas long strong arms. Jou and honda jump the hurdle with practiced ease, landing with heavy thumps. Yugi is bodily shoved back into Jou who grips him like a child before tailing kaiba who runs along a long forgotten river, long since dead. They follow it until kaiba locates a large cement pipe, filled with the sound and smell of distant saltwater. Their feet land loudly against the cement,all but kaibas, which makes following him difficult since their isn't much light.

However he is made visible every time he glances backward, looking at them with his luminescent eyes. They're dilated accommodating the weak light, night vision. Kaiba can see in the dark. This skill is not a shared one, however jou has something neither yugi nor honda has, and while he will not divulge what it is he will use it to guide the trio. One arm wrapped around yugi the other hand gripping onto hondas sleeve, jou stays close to kaibas back.

A few moments later kaiba emerges from the other end of the tunnel, standing knee deep in saltwater and sand. He steps to the side waiting a moment for the others, he quickly resumes when he sees them step into the cool water. This time kaiba moves in less of a hurry as he walks along the beach, feeling a bit safer, Jou lets yugi down but still grips his hand as if leading a child.

After a moment kaiba stops and waits for them past the beach at the roadside, his arms crossed over his chest in a familiar way. Moonlight guides them down the black road until they find themselves approaching an upper class neighborhood. Each house spaced apart by miles of lawns gardens and rows of blossoming fruit trees. Each one was passed by until they found a single massive manor guarded by a massive marble wall, at the center of this wall was a spiraling iron gate. A splendor to look at, the gate that guarded the kaiba estate was a work of art.

The masterpiece left the trio behind him in awe, kaiba however barely seemed to notice it as pressed his hand against a touch pad beside the gate. The gate yawned for them in silence so as not to irritate the master of the house, kaiba who hated the sound of old metal screeching at him. It shut just as silently as it opened, honda blinked as he looked forward realizing they had only made it to the driveway. He wondered how long the path to the door was, and continued to do so until yugi found himself too tired to continue walking- not for lack of trying. Yugi slumped over riding piggyback on jou who for some reason barely seemed winded by the long journey. After three miles of trudging along in awkward silence they found kaiba standing beside a large set of dark wood double doors. Much like the gate the door was a wonder, another mans masterpiece. Sadly there was not a moment to give it any attention, as they stepped inside and looked about the entry way.

Kaiba turned to look at the three of them before stating as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

" you will be spending the night here."

Before it had a chance to register as thought the question tumbled out of Hondas mouth

" what why!?"

Before kaiba could make to respond jou opened his mouth, effectively closing hondas.

" you really think that was the only one? You wanna walk all the way across town in the dark... when there could be more of those things out there?"

"..."

Honda stared at jou then back at the door, more specifically the lock.

"guest rooms are this way."

CH 2


	2. you make sense now

CH 2

and somehow it makes sense

They where escorted past the dimly lit foyer and through a long hallway with dimly lit hallways with cream colored walls laden of people the trio does not recognize. Jounouchi wonders to himself if kaiba has even met the people adorning his walls, kaiba turns right down another hallway. This hallway is different, as time was crueler here than anywhere else, the walls a bit darker than those previous, aside from the outlines of rectangles where portraits once where. The light of this hallway is a crisp clean white, exaggerating the age gap between the house and its inhabitants. This does not go unnoticed, yugi shudders at the image the perfect light brings out of the place. Strange, the sterile light seeming to search the place for every flaw, preventing its faults from hiding... especially when the walk past the first heavy dark door. Honda glances down ward and sees singe marks peeking out from beneath the door, looking at the brass handle he notes, its a replacement... and the strange marks in the door as if it was kicked in and cheaply repaired.

Yugi stares at the door as they pass it, his lingering gaze does not go unnoticed, kaiba despite what he feels does not speak. Kaiba stops beside a much smoother cleaner door, with the word 'victorian' on a small brass plaque at the center of it. He looks at them for a moment before reaching over and closing his long fingered hand around the cool silver metal of the embellished handle, seemingly made to fit his hand. They can hear the old tumblers churn beneath the surface finishing a heavy 'click'. He pushes the door open, extending his arm outward into the room, inviting them in.

" would you like to share a room or sleep separately. "

He watches their eyes go wide and their jaws drop at the Victorian elegance of the room. The lower portion of the wall is wood paneled, matching the floor, the roll top writing desk beside the vast window with pastel blue curtains drawn shut. The needlessly carved dresser and wardrobe, the strange fireplace on the far end of the room. What seems to be most appealing to the lot of them is the door that shouldn't lead to anywhere, Jou pushes it open and discovers a large and rather fanciful bathroom with an oversized tub. Yugi smiles as he lets his fingertips trail over the silk coverlets of the canopy bed. He looks to kaiba with his wide amber eyes, that never fail to unnerve kaiba.

" wow, you're really going to let us sleep here?"

" indeed."

honda quirks an eyebrow skeptically at kaiba

"but why?"

" just because I dislike you does not mean I wish you dead, off bothering someone else... but not dead. I do despite popular belief actually have a heart."

yugi lets a wide smile cross his face.

" so you are human after all."

kaibas eyes rest on yugi for only a moment before he places his hand back on the door handle.

" I never said that."

The door shuts with the heavy click of the tumbler falling in place. The three of them simply gawk at the door from their various places around the ornate room. Yugi climbs onto the tall bed, letting out a nervous laugh to fill the silence, hondas shocked stare morphs into a frightened glare.

"what the fuck did he mean by that?"

Jou turns away and pulls open the curtains he leans against the window sill staring out at the night sky glittering with stars. Just as honda begins pacing nervously, a soft firm knock raps at the door. Silence for a minute, maybe two the knock is heard again. Yugi half shouts at the door.

"who is it?"

"Asuka, a maid of the kaiba house "

" umm. Okay er come in?"

The heavy door reveals a slight woman, short and slender in her black pencil dress kitten heels and completed with a white apron. Pale brown almost blonde hair, dark brown eyes, her small hands covered by the pile of guest clothing she carries.

" the master said to bring you theses clothes, in case you wished to wash. If you would like I can draw you a bath."

Jou looks at her with a light smile, honda reaches over to take the clothes from her, she keeps her face down avoiding eye contact. Hondas voice seems lost as he looks at the most undeniably sweet woman, so jou speaks in his place.

" thanks but I'm pretty sure we can work the shower by our selves and tell kaibs thanks for us okay"

she bows deeply to them before asking

" dinner will be served in one hour, will you attend or do you wish it to brought to your room?"

yugi just about bonces in place

" we'll go! But um, could you come get us cause I don't even remember how to get to the front door."

she bows again, before responding

" of course, I would not dream of doing otherwise."

she raises herself into a standing position and look rather eagerly at the lot of them.

" if your wish for something do not hesitate to ask, I am here to be of whatever assistance you may need!"

She walks over to the bed , opens the drawer to the bedside table and reveals a small crystal bell.

"if you find yourself in need, simply ring this bell and I will be here."

jou pipes up

"about the bath, where are the towels?"

" there right here in this..."

she walks to the wardrobe removing a black towel, and squeezing it gently between her fingers. A frown crosses her gentle features.

"well this wont do at all, these have lost their fluff."

she quickly snatches the remaining towels and heads for the door.

" I will return in just a moment with fresh towels."

She backs out the door giving a slight bow before she shuts it with its familiar click. Yugi looks over to both honda and jou who pick through the neatly folded stack of clothes Asuka brought them. Jou holds up the one of shirts, solid black with silver buttons down the front and on the cuffs. He notes the small size and pitches it to yugi, honda hands a larger size to Jou, laying its twin over his shoulder before handing out the matching pants. Its just then that Asukas small knock raps at the door, jou strolls over and lets her in. She holds a stack of fluffy towels and soft robes in her small hands, she giggles when Jou reaches over to take them from her, he smirks when he notices that his hands grazed over hers.

Again she bows at them

" please do not hesitate to call me if you need something, I will return for you when dinner is ready"

~ across the manor~

Kaiba sinks into the heated water filled with dissolved salts, he sprawls out in the tub he had custom made to accommodate his height. His face sinks beneath the surface and he listens to the nothingness, his favorite part of water is that it blocks the sounds of daily life so wonderfully. All he can hear is his heart beating loudly in his ears, he enjoys hearing himself relax as his heart slows to a more steady rhythm. The sensation of too much adrenaline finally dissipating, allowing his muscles come undone. Before his lungs begin to burn he raises his face from the water, smiling at the image of mokuba staring at him from his place on the edge of the tub.

" yessss?"

mokuba snickers at the way his brother seems to drawl slightly when he relaxes.

" I don't get whats so special about hot water, why do you like it so much?"

" I suggest you take a cold shower before asking that again. What is it you wanted?"

" the maids are in a frenzy, do we have company tonight?"

" indeed."

" who is it ?"

" go take bathe, dress yourself for dinner and find out then."

mokuba puff up his cheeks and gives his poutiest glare before rolling his eyes and sighing.

" you're no fun nii sama "

kaiba simply smirks as he sinks back beneath the surface.

~ in the victorian~

Yugi smiles as he exits the bathroom finding his previous clothes washed dried and pressed clean, he looks to the others who are already wearing their pjs as their own own clothes are being washed at the moment, Jou settling to only wear the pants.


	3. table talk

Ch3

table talk

Two steaming hot showers later Asuka leads the trio down and through and around the maze that is the kaiba home, until she holds open a dark wood door revealing a clean white room with a vaulted ceiling. In the room they find the kaiba brother sitting across from each other at a long narrow cherry wood dining table, set with porcelain china and gleaming silver cutlery. Mokuba wears a long sleeve blue shirt and his usual jeans, across from him kaiba wears a slightly faded black v neck shirt with sleeves that stop at his elbows, his customary black pants seeming a bit longer with his knee high leather boots. Jou seems to be the only one to notice the fact that kaiba is currently wearing common house slippers, and mokuba is wearing only gray socks.

At the sound of the door opening mokuba eyes snap in the following direction, causing a monumental smile to plaster itself on his face.

" JOUNOUCHI! Come sit next to me!"

Mokuba hops out of his own chair to pull out the one next to him, Jou snickers at his excitement.

"you bet kiddo!"

Yugi pulls up a chair next to Kaiba and Honda beside Jou. Immediately as they are settled Mokuba begins to babble asking question after question, his eyes going from one person to the next. When he finally stops to breathe his eyes are focused on his brother, who answer's with his hands folded neatly in front of him and his elbows off the edge of the table.

" there was an incident and I didn't want them to walk through town tonight."

Honda arcs an eyebrow at the vague and rather lame answer.

" nii sama, can't you get in trouble for bringing them here after an attack? It's against the rules..."

" indeed... I suppose I'll deal with that later"

" what rules? And what was that thing? What did you do to it?"

Yugi asks as he stares at kaibas profile. Kaiba sighs heavily debating on how to answer.

" I am not permitted to answer most of that... but do not worry, the creature is dead."

Yugi honda and Jou stare in shock and mild horror at kaiba, mokuba glances to the door he knows leads to the kitchen before asking

" another one? Who was it this time?"

Kaiba looks back at his brother, inwardly smiling at the nonchalant way he talks of the situation.

" I didn't stop to look, I am not positive he was alone."

This seems to catch mokubas attention. Honda thinks to just a few hours earlier and bizarre scream he heard.

" what was that weird scream... after everything happened?"

mokuba looked to honda with a surprisingly firm stare, before closing his eyes in thought and resuming forward position.

" honda... every one really... nii sama can't answer your questions... I shouldn't either. If nii sama does any more for you tonight... he could get in some terrible trouble-"

"fuck that crap I wanna know what the hell is going on!"

honda slams his clenched fists against the table, jarring its settings out of place. Kaiba sneers setting his cold stare on honda.

" I like my head where it is alright! YOU are not worth it rolling on the damn ground, I did more than I should have already so take it or take off!"

his glare jumps over to set on jounouchi

" aren't you going to yell at me now?"

jous expression is thoughtful for a moment, he drums his fingers on the edge of the table as he chooses what to say. He looks at kaiba and forgets his plan of action, deciding to wing it as usual.

" well, I wanna know whats up... but I also know what happens when talk you weren't supposed to-"

He rubs the back of his head, rubbing an old scar with his calloused fingertips as he talks.

" that can get pretty brutal. So I figure if we really needed to know, life or death kinda needed, you'd tell us. You're gonna say you wouldn't but I know you would cause you already stuck your neck out this far. So as much as I wanna scream and yell... I wont. How mad can I be really? You saved our ass and your even letting us hole up for the night. That can't be good for you."

kaiba finds himself stunned, the fury he felt earlier gone and replaced with the foreign feeling of being understood.

Dinner is silent, only the sound of silverware clinking against the plates fills the room. In the silence yugi catches jou glancing at kaiba from the corner of his eye, a small gesture but a strange one. Difficult to catch if one is not looking for it, and yugi knowing Jou as well as he does, is perfectly aware of how to read, better so than even honda could. After dinner Asuka returns to escort them back to their rooms, the walk as well is silent, guilt and anger radiate off honda in waves. Jou is oblivious only because his mind id elsewhere completely so yugi winds up feeling really quite alone at the moment he finds that he is surrounded by his friends. Thankfully he can look inward to a friend that is always open to him. Atem.

The mental conversation ends with atem informing yugi that he finds himself in agreement with Jounouchi. They are safe here in the kaiba estate, although he does find himself curious as to why it is that Jou could read that much from kaiba, as he is customarily inept at reading someone so stoic. He never did go into any details about jous past only that it was unpleasant and filled with unsavory people. It came to be that he met a few people from Jounouchis past, but individual moments in it where never talked of. Was it that Jou didn't want to talk about it or had no one cared to ask?

It is Atem that looks over yugis shoulder to the distant expression on Jous face, it is Atem who finds himself feeling weighted with guilt and ungratefulness. Yes he speaks of gratitude often, but looking backward finds that it is always yugi who talks to Jou, comforts him should he need it and sits with him when there is nothing to be said. It is yugi that has been a rock to Jounouchi, in comparison Atem feels kind of like a bright pebble at the bottom of a fish tank. Interesting to look at but overall rather useless.

Asuka opens their door, wishes them a good night and much rest before bowing backing out and shutting the door. Yugi takes his pajamas to the bathroom to change, Jou and honda turn away from each other to give themselves the semblance of privacy. After teeth are brushed and yawns are passed about the three of them climb into the unusually large bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch4

midnight stroll

After almost an hour of staring at the place where the canopies seams converge in a sharp point, jous head rolls sideways, he stares at the door. Slipping out from the bed unnoticed is simple task as both yugi and honda are exhausted the bizarreness of the day, Atem however looks over to Jou just as his hand sets down on the handle.

" the bathroom is behind the other door jounouchi."

atem listens closely and only hears a soft chuckle from jou, he turns the handle and makes to leave, despite being caught.

" where are you going jounouchi?"

" I gotta talk to kaibs..."

" its late you know, he will be sleeping by now."

" nah, he's awake."

"how do you know that?"

Perhaps it is simply the lighting, but when jou turns to face atem his expression is dark and riddled with irritation. He does not often look at atem directly in the eye, but this time atem finds himself fighting the urge to avert his gaze.

" I know."

It is hardly an answer in any sense of the word, but Jou opens the door and shuts it silently behind him. A task Asuka had not managed once all day, the door is heavy the locks are old, it seems normal that one should not be able to silence it. Atem stares at the door, he wonder if he should permit yugis body its much needed rest or if he should follow Jounouchi. He makes a move to lift the covers and finds soreness in yugis hands and legs, a lingering pain that rolls through his small body. Rest is needed, he lays himself down and returns to his place in the puzzle.

Jou does not find himself lost, he moves swiftly through the shadows, he cannot see in the dark but he can navigate in the dark rather well. Especially given his destination. He walks back to the entry way and pauses looking about the place, the feint odor of a familiar cologne lingers here. He follows the almost unnoticeable scent down a hallway he didn't know was there up a spiral staircase, down a long hallway. At the end of this hallway a sliver of light pours out from beneath the door, he walks over and reaches to knock. A voice stops him

" come in."

His hand shifts from the upper center of the door down to the curled handle, he grips the cool metal pushes down then in. The door is silent. Pastel blue walls, they look like a breeze feels, the carpet is a thick plush black. Upward, there is no ceiling, just a vast window with a wondrous view of glittering stars and rolling clouds. Across the room an arced canopy bed sits all laden with silk and velvet in many shades of blue, accented with black and silver. No light fixtures to be seen anywhere, but somehow there is light. Beside the bed long drapes billow lightly in a passing breeze, Jou walks over to find the open window and finds kaiba laying on his back on the sloped roof.

Out the window is a familiar exit to him, so he slips out the window and sits down cross legged beside kaiba. They don't speak for a while, just sit together watching the stony clouds roll by, until they part and reveal a bloody red moon. He hears kaibas breath catch in his throat, he looks over and sees him with hands still pillowed behind his head, but his eyes are clenched shut. His brow is furrowed as if he is somehow upset at the moon or the sky or perhaps just life in general.

" you, alright?"

"yes..."

His eyes open but averted from the now revealed moon, he pushes himself upright and watches as an owl flies off in the distance. He looks over to Jounouchi for a moment before walking back to the window and stepping in, followed by his company.

Kaiba looks at jou, finally taking not of the fact that he's only wearing the lower portion his sleepwear. He walks around the large bed to the red oak dresser set, opening the bottom drawer he plucks out a white t shirt and loose fitting pajama pants. Jou politely stares out the window, leaning against the frame as he listens to the sound of soft cloth sliding over softer flesh. A moment later something clicks shut and Kaiba says rather blandly.

" I still cannot answer your questions."

Jou turns around to look at kaiba, he gives a smirk.

" who says that's why I'm here"

kaiba sits on the edge of his bed, twisting his trunk to look at jounouchi rather skeptically.

"you have a tendency to be rather persistent."

jou sits on the floor, as he doesn't feel like standing anymore.

" can be, but I actually came cause I couldn't sleep."

"what made you think I would still be awake?"

" you got yourself in deep shit, now your too nervous to sleep."

Silence pervades the room, kaiba stares at jou with a hooded gaze curious of his thought process. The silence stretches on but kaibas mind is anything but still, all the gears turning frantically unsure of what to do with the situation.

" don't flip. I just been there ya know."

"hmmph"

" yea yea, I know."

" you know what!?"

Kaiba snarls finding himself rather irritated at how unperturbed Jou is by all of it.

" I can't know, cause I'm not where you are... or what you are and yours is way worse than whatever I might have been with.. is that right."

kaiba huffs loudly and flops over onto his bed, rustling the sheer curtains of his canopy.

"oh shut it."

"..."

jou stands on his knees, placing his arms over the edge of bed. Peeking over his forearms he watches kaiba pout for a moment in silence before grumbling.

"well?"

"...?"

" have you any wisdom to offer..."

" you never fucked up before have you?"

" do you or don't you?"

"yea."

" …"

" just don't lie."

kaiba rolls onto his stomach to look at Jous head perched on edge of his bed, he stares at him willing him to spontaneously combust. It sadly does not work.

"really? That's it?"

" if you lie, they wont believe you, if you tell the truth, they wont believe you. They're paranoid as all bloody hell and you know it. They'll treat every word out of your mouth like an attempt to get rid of them. I'd rather get caught telling the truth than otherwise."

kaiba stares at jou and wonders if his knees hurt on the floor, doubtful as the carpet really is quite soft.

"... you don't have to sit on the floor."


	5. a moment with you

A/N: majority of this chapter is cut to comply with ff rating requirements, it possible to get the uncut version from me, you just have to ask i suppose

ch 5

for one moment

Jou smirked and sat on the edge of the bed looking at kaiba and all his strange, previously unseen body language. He lets one foot hang off the edge of the bed and leans back against the head board, he smiles at kaiba. Kaiba now stares out the window just beyond jounouchi, his expression is slightly open. He looks... flustered.. worried, anxious.

"you really shouldn't panic, you make it look worse that way, they'll probably do more if they know your scared."

" jounouchi, you dont understand what will happen..."

" they'll kill you or something right..."

He says it without worry, as if the thought is customary. Kaiba eyes him warily, curiosity nagging at him, he furrows his brow and looks away for a moment.

"jounouchi... what... did they do to you...?"

"... you mean whats the worst they did to me right."

kaiba simply looks at jou, waiting.

"... they hung me for a while...my hands to the ceiling bar.. my legs to the grid on the floor. 'tani was gone that week, he got caught doing.. I cant remember what. So the guys all came at once, normally slashing isn't that bad but they kept sort of putting weird things under my skin..."

Kaiba lets his face remain still and expressionless, inwardly though he grimaces.

" I know it was ice... but it was saltwater and I think I saw a pepper a tiny little orange one. I watched em cut it open and it felt so bizarre when it went in... right here-"

Jou shifts in place and taps a small faded slit like scar under his right pectoral. His finger slides over the unusually smooth mark absently. His eyes turn glassy as he continues to recount the memory, kaibas blue eyes glide along the dips in jous body, where his muscles connect to each other, the small slits scattered across his body, hidden in plain sight.

" I didn't want to scream, but everything burned, burning from the inside for so long I couldn't stop screaming. When I passed out I guess they brought in a heat lamp or something cause it was so hot, I thought I was gonna melt and then.. they cut me down and pitched me into an open hole in the ice rink."

kaiba cant help the way his eyes flash wide or the way his head jerks backward.

" so I went into shock yea... I just remember panicking when they pushed the ice block back over the hole... I don't know how I got out but I woke up in the hospital...it was like a week later and tani was so mad."

"..."

Blue eyes stare at Jou wide in some unreadable expression, it morphs into something else then vanishes.

" and you"

" I have yet to require punishment."

"oh?"

Jou snickers slightly at the comment. His host leers at him.

"and what is so funny?"

" your like a golden kid, shouldn't be too bad for you then, give you some bruises. I think you'll be okay."

Kaiba arcs a slim eyebrow at Jou, watching him stare out the window.

" I have my doubts..."

His gaze begins to fall lower grazing across Jounouchis lightly toned torso. Quickly he averts his gaze only getting caught as he worries his lower lip, Jou reaches over placing his fingertips on kaibas lower lip.

" don't do that, you'll bruise your lips that way."

He doesn't reject the touch, his blue eyes gaze up at Jounouchi and his intense brown eyes. Kaiba lets those calloused fingertips linger on his lips, he finds himself intrigued by the textured feel of Jous hands. Jou finds himself his fingers under kaibas chin and the pad of his thumb gliding over kaibas mouth, soft and cool to the touch. The motion continues until Kaiba closes his eyes and presses a soft kiss on the center of Jous palm. Jounouchi stills, finding his heart fluttering in a strange way, he'd never noticed how long kaibas eyelashes where before. From this view, with kaibas eyes closed and the way his dark lashes contrast against his pale skin its impossible to notice them.

Finally kaiba opens his eyes and finds moonlight pouring in through the window and filtering into Jous hair, making it seem brighter,sparkling with life. From Jous perspective the silvery light cascades over kaibas softly angled face accentuating his brilliant blue eyes and making his soft rose tinted lips seem so tantalizing.

Kaiba finds himself sitting up right following the way Jous hand gently guides him, closer and closer until he finds himself again with his eyes closed. This time with a sensation of warmth pressed against his lips, his heart flutters in his chest as he feels Jous tongue flick wonderfully across his lower lip. So he tilts head slightly parting his lips inviting Jounouchi in, he shivers and relinquishes a pleasured sigh when Jous fingers run upward through his hair.

A thought finds it way into kaibas head, the fact that he shouldn't so this, what could happen if he does. He muses ..

' ah well, I'm in trouble anyway... so...'


	6. by morning light

Ch6

By morning light.

Mornings golden glow crept through the curtains and spilled across their tangled bodies, the subtle warmth rousing Kaiba from his unusually deep slumber. Customarily a complete insomniac, sleep is a rare and difficult think for him to come by, so he wakes in a rather pleasant but confused state. He finds himself feeling rather calm, relaxed by the rhythm of Jous steady heartbeat. Kaiba shifts in place, looking upward at Jous sleeping face- for some reason it causes his face to flush with warmth. He feels the weight of Jous strong arm slung over his shoulder, holding him close... for some reason it leaves Kaiba feeling mildly pleased.

With a heavy sigh he looks out the window knowing full well that despite a pleasant beginning to the day... it will not continue in this manner. In his chest is a the lead weight of guilt, he knows full well what he and Jounouchi have done is completely against the laws his people follow to a tee. Of all the laws that his people have broken this is the one that had remained untouched, they are supposed to believe with all their being that they are above humans. Although he muses to himself with mild amusement how much pleasure he derived from being beneath Jounouchi.

With wonderful timing Jou yawns and stretches, smiling and turning to look to kaiba. He pulls kaiba close giving him a soft kiss, he rolls kaibas naked body on top of him. They kiss slowly for a while, before Jou smirks at kaiba.

" hmmm, you seem a bit excited. You wanna-"

Kaiba smiles mischievously at Jou knowing bloody well what hes thinking, although he sighs heavily. Jous smile falters, he keeps his arm around kaiba and looks out the window.

" Jounouchi-"

"damn..."

"...?"

" I liked it better when you called me 'suya'."

Kaibas face flushed bright red, he had hope Jou would not have been paying attention to the words that spilled out of his mouth last night.

"ah.. well... katsuya. I shouldn't have allowed last night to happen... so it cannot happen again. Do you understand?"

Jou does not move his arm from around kaibas shoulder. He doesn't even seem bothered by the statement. His gaze drifts from the window back to kaiba.

" so, do you regret it it?"

"... what?"

"do you wish you could, undo last night? Pretend it never happened..."

"... I should. It is against-"

" but do you."

"... no I suppose I do not. Although that does not mean that it can happen again."

" sure"

Jou says it with a vague smirk as if he doesn't believe kaiba will go through with his decision. He presses their lips together in a chaste kiss for only a moment before letting go and deciding he ought to find his clothes. Kaiba watches him cover the body that had he had spent the night clinging to, he finds himself longing for just one more touch. Despite his want, he allows Jou to walk out the door without a word.

A few hours later Yugi Honda and Jou sit in the back of a dark blue infinity being taken to the mutou game shop. As they tumble out of the car and trot off to the front door of the shop Honda eyes Jou warily, although Jounouchi seems rather oblivious to it. As soon as the door shuts behind Honda, Atem steps out of his place in the puzzle and looks critically at Jou, who simply looks back, with a relatively forlorn expression.

"dude where were you last night?"

Honda looks at Jounouchi, his face riddled with concern. He finds himself surprised with the speed of Jous response. Although jounouchi continues walking the yugis bedroom as he talks, plopping down on yugis bed upon arrival.

" I wanted to talk to kaiba to make sure everything was alright you know. He looked like he was gonna blow a gasket or something, so I thought he outta talk and make sure he knows what he in for. So we went and sat out on the roof for a while and where talking for a while and then we went inside and just sat down for a bit...then he was just quiet."

The two wait for Jou to continue talking Atem listening intently, whereas Honda is half panicking already.

" I think hes, hes gonna be alright. He just freaked out, I guess he like the golden child you know. Never gets in trouble for anything, he works hard to do the right think and this time... the right thing was... not what he was supposed to do. Hes just scared of whats going to happen, but I don't think it will be all that bad. I stuck around cause he just, he looked so... I dunno."

In the back of his mind Atem is already assuming what happened, the parts that Jou seems to be omitting from his story. He wont say it, but he has his suspicions about the forlorn expression Jou seems to be sighs and runs his finger across an edge of the puzzle that hangs around his neck.

" well, now what do we do?"

Honda stays quiet, not knowing where to go, feeling a bit like a leaf caught in slight breeze. Incapable to choose his own direction. Jou rolls onto his stomach pulling yugis pillow under his chin and look over to atem and honda.

" nothing, nothing for kaiba, nothing against him. Just go on, apparently to class. Its almost seven."

Honda and Atem both follow Jous line of sight to the small kuriboh shaped alarm clock, due to go off in fifteen minutes.

"DAMNIT we have testing today!"

Honda bolts out of the room down the stairs and hightails it home to get into his school uniform. Atem rolls his eyes and lets yugi have control of his body again. Smiling Yugi looks at Jou flopped over on his bed, he tilts his head to the side and asks.

"are gonna come to class today? You really shouldn't miss testing you know, I have one of your uniforms here anyway."

" I know, closet right?"

"yep!"

The pair of them go about getting dressed and ready for school, they have a quick breakfast then walk to school as if nothing has happened. The difference between this walk those that usually bring the pair to campus, is the volume. There is no sound from the two aside from the jostling of their bags and the soft 'thup thup thup' of their sneakers hitting the cold gray pavement. Yugi peeks out the corner of his eyes, casting furtive glances at Jou who seems to have a busy mind.

" Jou...are you, worried about Kaiba?"

Looking down at over to Yugi and his spiky spiky hair, Jou lets himself smirk at what feels like his brother.

"not really, I mean he's pretty tough, he can handle himself. I'm just, I dunno. I wanna know what they where, how many are there? You know?"

" oh, I don't really wanna find out. I really kinda wanna do what you said and pretend nothing happened. But.. I have a weird feeling we wont be able to."

" well on that happy thought we better go to homeroom before-"

About a block away the school bell tolls announcing that anyone not in class is tardy, the pair bolts forward not wanting detention.

It is nine days later that Kaiba finds himself walking toward the school bathroom during passing period, having gone out of his way at a slightly more brisk than usual pace. He manages to find it empty as he is generally the first person out of class, he slides the bathroom door locked preventing any intrusion. He walks to the sinks and looks in the mirror, displeased he turns on the faucet and splashes his face with cold water. His stomach flips, as it has been doing all week- making him sick in strange times of the day. Almost one o clock today, he'd been hoping to at least get through his classes with out being ill, no suck luck. He turns and bolts for one of the stalls spilling his luck into the newly cleaned white toilet bowl, it continues until there is absolutely nothing left in him. Pressing his fingertips to the handle he is mildly thankful for the silent flush washing away his sickness.

Today makes four days in row,five days ago he received word that he would be tried for his 'unlawful conduct'. The date of his trial has plagued his thoughts, causing him to be distracted during work, causing his little brother much worry. More than anything he cant seem to sleep, when he lays down in bed the only thing he can think of is how bothersome such a large bed is when its empty. He looks at the blankets and remembers Jou sitting at the edge of his bed. The memory of the way he had turned to look at Kaiba with those intense brown eyes full of concern and care... and something else.

He hates himself for longing, with a heavy sigh he stands up from the stall and goes to the sink to wash his hands, face and rinse out his mouth. Unlocking the door he grimaces at the crowds of people milling about the hallway, he hates himself for catching a glimpse of Jounouchi walking by glaring down at a returned test. He walks off to his next class the one he hates the most. Gym class, last time he had gym class scheduled, he'd been absent.

This was so he wouldn't have to show the rose colored marks littering his body, they have faded to his dismay although they are still slightly noticeable. Sighing heavily he walks out the blue door of the mail building through the courtyard through a breezeway and into the blue double doors of the boys locker room. Beside his locker Ryou Bakura tugs on the laces of his grass stained sneakers, he looks up to Kaiba with a weak smile. It like usual is not returned, bakura watches kaiba turn the combination of his lock, missing his number. He gives a huff of frustration before just pulling on the lock til he hears the tumbler break.

Bakura closes his locker door slowly, Kaiba tosses his uniform jacket into his locker rather than fold it neatly like he usually does. Slams his locker shut and finds himself looking directly at a bottle of vitamin water. Bakura hold it out nervously, he looks absolutely petrefied but none the squeaks at kaiba.

" you don't look well, you could have it. Makes me feel better... I mean I'm anemic so yea. But here its good for you."

On a normal day he would sneer and slap it away, today however he is too tired to fight about something as harmless as a bottle of water. He reaches forward and takes the drink, still cold. Bakura looks at him almost stunned, then bolts for the door. He bolts right past jou who strolled in late.

" oi wheres the fire!"

Jou looks away from Bakura who disappeared around a corner, finding himself looking directly at Kaiba. Behind him the door slams against the frame, the last person having rushed out.

They stand alone together. Jou looking at Kaiba, who wont look back.

" you feeling alright?"

He looks over to Jou, his white shirt and gym shorts slung over his arm.

" I'm fine"

"sure"

Jou walks past him to his locker, down one row and the edge. From his place at the end of the aisle of lockers Jou looks over and watches Kaiba pulls his shirt over his head, then looks away before he can see how much his kisses have faded from the others pale skin. Kaibas turn to peek, he hates himself all over again, Jous back is riddled with long red lines flowing down from his shoulders. Biting his lip he slips out of his pants and in to his uniform shorts,in his mind the feeling of Jous skin beneath his hands replays itself. As he pulls his cotton white shirt over his head he feels a shiver run down his spine, turning around he sees Jounouchi. Dressed and ready to leave for the attendance lineup, instead of making any move to leave he just leans against the cold metal of the locker looking at Kaiba.

His gaze flows up kaibas exposed legs, to those little blue shorts that seem to do nothing but tease. The thin blue fabric following the curve of his backside, although all Jou can think of is the way those long legs had felt wrapped around his waist. He walks rather leisurely up to Kaiba who only waits there. How bizarre that he should want this so much, so much so that his heart races in his chest.

Around the corner Otogi blinks, being late to gym is usually less interesting, had made sure to let the door shut quietly so he wouldn't be caught sneaking about. He peeks around from a row of lockers, careful not to make a sound, he cant hear whats being said, but that is most certainly not what interests him. What interests him is the way Jou sets his hand on Kaibas hips pulling him close, the way Kaiba doesn't protest. Jou presses his lips to Kaibas neck softly this time not leaving a mark, his hands seem to wander as he whisper in Kaibas ear. One hand cupping his small arse the other sliding up his chest beneath his shirt.

"stop..."

It is said without conviction or meaning of most any kind, but none the less jou pulls away.

" sure"

Otogi slips out the door and dashes around the corner pretending he hasn't arrived yet, that he hasn't seen them.

Jou strolls out the blue double door, catching sight of otogi walking up to the building, he snorts at

otogi.

" man are you ever on time?"


	7. Chapter 7

ch7

Trial of the weary soul

"you do understand hunters law don't you?"

" indeed."

Seto kaiba sits in the living room of a very large home that is not his, the house is one of few to rival his own estate. He does not like this house, with its hundreds of secret passage ways and its servants who don't bother to hide their nature. Their neon eye glowing in the distance, watching along with the four council members. Each member sits in a tall uniform recliner chair, they sit leaning back, lazing into the chair listening idly to the eldest of them speak. He speaks to Kaiba like a child, although in comparison to others, he is a child. He is nineteen years of age, the eldest is nearing his three hundredth birthday.

"when mister Kaiba was the last time you hunted?"

" I've no time for it."

The old man with his long silver hair pulled back into a tail steeples his fingers and looks over Kaiba, mildly irritated.

" When mister kaiba, was the last time."

"as I said, I have no time for it. I was too young to hunt for myself when I was brought to the orphanage and when I was not given time to teach myself how to do so. As time went on I had less and less time to learn, social services takes quite a bit of my time. I customarily am in the middle of one project or a another and have not the time to spare. So I have never hunted, as you see I have no time for it."

" you expect me to believe that at age nineteen you have still yet to make your first kill?how have you survived all this time?"

" a servant by the name of Asuka sees to all my requirements."

"what of your brother?"

"he plays in the gardens at night-"

With a slight bit of pride Kaibas chest puffs up and a smirk plays across his lips.

" he's really quite adept, he has been catching rabbits- just yesterday morning he managed to catch a sparrow. So he is doing fine."

One of the elder snickers slightly, a woman with peppered hair and a heart shaped face.

"oh my, that is something, how old is he?"

" he is eleven and a half."

"only eleven and he can catch birds already? You see to it that he can do these things but do not do them yourself? It could bring much joy to do so."

" joy is irrelevant to me, but my brother will have all of it."

The woman looks at him disappointed, the old man picks up where he left off.

" knowing hunters law is different from understanding it I suppose..."

The old man looks at Kaiba, locking his gaze for a moment. Beneath his blue eyes are dark circles marking his sleep deprivation, his hand left loose curl on their own, as if meant to be wrapped around a pen. His posture is stiff and upright like his spine where made of steel. Looking closer the whites of his eyes are tinted with millions of tiny red veins, he's exhausted. The blue of his eyes are dull, listless. Empty.

" why did you interfere with that hunt?"

"...I didn't intent to kill him, wanted him to take his hunt somewhere else. Whenever these things happen on my side of town I get cops all over my door step. Also it makes too much traffic congestion-"

Kaiba rubs his temple as if he's trying to stall a headache.

"god I hate traffic. Aside from all that I am also aware of the three people this one was hunting, three people. It seemed like overkill, as if he was hunting for sport not food. There was no need to do that."

A soft murmur passes from one elder to the next, a few nodding agreement.

"you where aware of these three?"

"yes they attend the same school as I am forced to, I have been dragged along on their travels, in my book they ought to be left alone. if their gonna die it will most likely be because of their own damn stupidity. To be fair, they have done much more than a human of their age should have to. That little one keeps a second soul in his body, so if he dies you have killed two. The second soul trapped inside is one of royal blood so should be left alone. The one with the spike of brown hair has been through enough of other peoples trouble, I feel he should live to have troubles of his own for once. The tall blond one..."

Kaibas expression darkens, his hands curl around the armrests, accidentally digging his nails into the furniture as he remembers Jounochis story, and the scars that litter his body.

" hunt him all you want, he would have lived any way. But I don't think he should have to suffer any more than he has been forced to."

The four elders simply stare at Kaiba curiously, the woman with peppered inhales deeply. Her eyes go wide for a moment but she doesn't say a word. Immediately she recognizes the strange odor that Kaiba brought with him, a bizarre change in his hormones. Suddenly his appearance makes more sense to her, she looks to him and wonders how long he has been suffering.

" we where unaware of the number of subjects where being targeted that night. We find that we are agreement, it was unnecessary. As for the royal soul you mentioned, we will require a name to-"

" Atem, great pharoh of egypt"

The old mans eyes go wide in horror, his face contorts with fury.

" he was hunting a pharoh!? How DARE HE!"

"no worries, he's dead, also I honestly think he might have had rabies or something... he didn't seem all there."

The woman with pepper hair leans forward and inquires

"the other two, they travel with the pharoh?"

" yes they are his companions, the blonde one guards the pharohs host body, he is called Jounouchi."

"the other?"

" I am unsure as to why they keep that one about, but they seem to enjoy his presence."

Kaiba looks at the old man, can almost hear the gears turning in his head.

"this pharoh... he is unaware of us? Of our presence?"

"well he was."

"this is a most unpleasant introduction. We will have to fix this..."

" would you like to arrange a meeting with him?"

" and impose ourselves on him!?im sure that he's -"

" he's got the time."

" what makes you say that?"

" I have no tournaments going at the moment."

The four just stare at him with blank expressions, as though they sincerely don't get it.

Four hours later mokuba kaiba bounces into burger world tailed by Isono, he pauses in the aisle and stands on tip toe looking about. With a grin he bounces off toward leaf shaped spikes of hair.

" YUGI!"

The small cluster sitting at the table turns and waves at Mokuba who rummages in his pockets as he walks over. Otogi rolls his dice back and forth in his hand while Jou sips his soda and Bakura peeks over Otogis shoulder to see Mokuba.

" yugi, I have a letter for Atem-"

"you do? Who's it from?"

Yugi turns in place at to watch as Mokuba yanks a slightly crumpled envelope from his jean pocket.

" I may have sat on it... sorry."

He smiles, not really caring that he squashed their very important letter to the very important pharoh, who cares about as much as he does.

" pharoh cant read Japanese very well..."

Atem takes his place in yugis seat, he turns the paper sideways and blinks at it, his face tints pinkish without changing expressions. He looks about the cluster of his friends, all of which stare at him like a zoo exhibit, he feels his face turn just slightly brighter.

" what would make you think I can read this?"

Otogis face twitches as he desperately tries not to laugh, glaring directly at him the pharoh takes his place back in the puzzle. Yugi huffs at otogi turning the paper upright, he clears his throat to read a loud.

" to the spirit of the great pharoh, it has come to our attention that you have been introduced to the nature of our clan. We regret the poor introduction and wish to make amends, we would be most pleased to make your acquaintance over dinner tomorrow evening. You are quite welcome to bring your guards along if it so pleases you.

See you soon,

moonlace, strike runner, winter blade, helios"

Yugi raises an eyebrow at the letter finding another behind it

"they are referring to your little friendship club when they say guards. Don't be late or I'll lock the door, yes dinner will be at my estate. Kaiba."

otogi grins

"what? Dinner at kaibas place? Can I come? I'm part of this club thingy right?"

Bakura leers at him

" I'm not really sure he should be having this dinner party, last time I saw kaiba, he looked awful."

Jou looks at bakura but doesn't say anything, honda stares at yugi.

" your not gonna go are you? What if they try to eat you?"

mokuba narrows his eyes at the remark, rather than chew out honda he turns to yugi.

"well whats the pharoh say?"

"hm... sure I guess, kaiba and you will be there too right?"

"yep, so who will you bring with you?"

yugi looks around the room

"who wants to come with us?"

"you know I'm where the food is."

Jou snorts, honda looks at the ceiling before nodding Bakura lifts his hand.

"I'd like to attend if you don't mind."

Otogi grins at jou, knowing damn well why he wants to go.

"so I can go right?"

"so thats five dinner guests, should we send a car or will Otogi be driving?"

" I will of course be driving."

"see you then!"

Mokuba bounds away, Isono walking along briskly behind him.


	8. a troubled dinner date

Ch8

A troubled dinner date

Ryou bakura climbs into the passenger seat of Otogis cherry red convertible wearing a long sleeve black silk shirt, otogi wears a red t shirt black jeans and black jacket. He smirks at bakura having dressed up to go to dinner, all soft features and pale colors. He pulls away to go pick up Honda , continually glancing over at Bakuras profile, his small exited smile.

About an hour later Otogi pulls his car up to the masterfully worked wrought iron gates of the Kaiba estate with his sporty red car loaded full with Bakura, Jou, Honda and Yugi. Otogi whistles at the lush green lawn and blossoming gardens that line the driveway. Honda leers at the manor, not really wanting to have come back, especially not with the company that awaits them inside. Yugi is smiling at the place, remembering how welcome the servants had made him feel here. Jou however stare longingly up at the rooftop where he had sat with Kaiba,into the window of the bedroom where they had spent that night together so long ago.

As they pull up to the door a butler in a tailed coat opens the door for otogi who hands him the keys and walks off to the door while the others pile out of his car. A woman stands with the door open, her head bowed as she welcomes them back into the kaiba estate. The familiar face of the maid Asuka guides them through the maze of hallways, with blank spaces where portraits should be. Back to the room with the long dinner table, this time covered with a long dark red table cloth and adorned with small odorless candles and various flowers.

At the head of the table is thick gruff looking man with long liver hair pulled tight into a tail that slides down his back. He wears a dark blue suit with a crisp clean white shirt beneath, he looks at them with neon green eyes. To his left is short plump woman with a hear shaped face peppered hair and deep violet dress. Across from her is a narrow man with a sharp face and narrow almond shaped eyes, he wears a black suit with white pinstripes. Beside the woman is a round man with a bored expression, he sits wearing a plain black suit with a white shirt and black tie. Across from him sits mokuba wearing his favorite red dress shirt and black pants. For once with his hair pulled back into a loose braid, so as not to give him a headache. Beside him is kaiba in his usual black turtle neck and matching pants.

"welcome"

Says the man at the head of the table, Atem trades places with Yugi and sneers at the man at the head of the table.

" I would think kaiba to be saying that, as this is his home is it not."

"indeed it is, but he is not head of this gathering. This gathering is here only because he insisted that you would not attend if where in my home."

" he was right."

"ah well, that is why we chose here, so have a seat dinner will be served in a few moments."

Jou takes the place beside kaiba, who looks rather pale and really quite exhausted. Honda moves to sit beside him, Atem moves to sit across from Kaiba Otogi and Bakura sitting to his right. The man at the head of the table claps his hands together motioning for the servant standing off to the side, to bring drinks. She hurries off and back again with a bottle of wine, kaiba arcing an eye brow before adding.

"yugi is underage and cannot have wine, Jounouchi prefers soda, honda does not drink and I don't want otogi getting drunk in my house. Bakura however may drink if he so pleases."

Otogi huffs indignantly at Kaiba.

" now why wouldn't you want me drunk? I can be very friendly when inebriated, how else could I possibly put up with your-"

Jounouchi throws a spoon across the table, it slams against the side of Otogis head before bouncing off and clattering on the floor.

"OW! - WHY YOU!"

Bakura reaches over and clamps his hands on Otogis shoulders before he can lunge over the table at Jounouchi who leers, far from amused. Atem simply sighs heavily as Bakura whispers in otogi's ear.

"please behave!kaiba isn't feeling well-"

"that one is Otogi, the one that threw the spoon in Jounouchi, the other is Honda and the mousy one is Bakura..."

Atem sighs irritated already, he then just waits for the hosts to introduce themselves, the four glance around the room nervously for a moment before the man at the head of the table takes a deep breath.

" well it is an honor to meet you and your company. You are already aware of kaiba, and his young one, stoneclaw.-"

Kaiba makes as if he did not hear his name, mokuba flushes slightly pink and nods when he hears his title.

"this is moonlace-"

The woman with her heart shaped face and peppered hair smiles and nods her head.

" this is strike runner"

The bored looking man yawns then nods lazily.

"this is winter blade"

The remaining fellow nods lightly.

" I am helios, head of this clan."

Atem arcs an eyebrow at him, feeling somehow disappointed.

" this is it? This not your entire clan is it?"

"no no, of course not. There are many hundreds of us., but we are the elder four and kaiba here is one who you have already met."

"kaiba..."

Kaiba looks at Atem Boredly.

"why is it that you have given him a title as you have for yourselves?"

The man at the head of the table shifts uncomfortably.

" may I ask how is it that you and Kaiba know each other?"

Atem glares at the older man at the head of the table, not liking being brushed off like that.

" Kaiba is an old soul. He is the reincarnation of my priest Seth. He has guarded me well his past life and has gone out of his way to as well again in this life as well. I hope you appreciate his presence in your clan."

kaiba rolls his eyes at the commentary.

" so I ask again why have you not named him as you have named yourselves?"

" It requires a ceremony, the right to which Kaiba has forfeited in order to remain as head of his company."

Kaiba doesn't say anything, he just glowers downward at his empty plate. Atem notices this, so does otogi and bakura.

" that isn't fair!"

It is Bakura who huffs irritatedly at the head of the table.

"why should he not have the same rights that you and the rest of your clan have and still be held to the same laws as you hold every one else to. Its like your purposely making his life difficult!"

The elder at the head of the table moves to talk only for Honda to talk over him.

"seriously! As if he doesnt have enough crap to deal with-"

Atem sneers and cuts off off honda who is still talking over Helios, who is turning slightly red with irritation.

" you are supposed to be a leader, and treat your subjects fairly why , would you possibly think that he of all people is undeserving of something as vital as a name?"

Atem takes a deep breath, he opens his mouth to continue talking, he silences himself when Kaiba raises one hand. He steeples his fingers in front of him and looks across the table, his exhaustion ever more evident.

" to my understanding, a name is given at the end of a first hunt. I have been too busy on every front to bother with anything so frivolous and so have not been named. However, Mokuba here has taken well to hunting, they have named him. That is really I concern myself with. If they do not name me, its fine, I know who I am, I do not need some one else to tell me."

At this statement three of the elder glower at him. Winter blade snaps back at kaiba.

" to willingly choose to go unnamed is to alienate yourself from the clan!"

"why should I bother struggling to please you? Do I not do enough to earn my place?! I see to it every damn day that not one single one of use is without a home, food and warmth! I see to it that every child of THIS clan is able to attend a proper school and do well enough to go to a college of their choice! I spend my days and nights tending to all branches of my company and to see to it that no member of this clan is left in the poor house. So I do that, and somehow I am undeserving of any respect. So be it, do what you will, and I will do what is right."

Moonlace smiles warmly at Kaiba then snickers at her three companions all of which are turning red in the face, Helios too furious to speak. winter blade almost stands from his seat in his outrage.

" why you lousy ungrateful little-"

Moonlace snarls at him.

" what may I ask has he to be grateful for? He is right, we have done little for him. Yes we do our best to school his youngling in the ways of our traditions, but what what of he himself? He has not hunted.. EVER. How is he to learn with no tutor, no one has stepped forward to make an offer. I have struggled for the last three years to have you at least acknowledge his presence in our clan-"

Kaiba sways slightly in his seat, he mumbles something incoherent and tries to stand up. As he stands, his chair falls backward. The sound of it clattering to the ground rings in his sensitive ears and throws off his equilibrium. Before his slight weight can hit the floor, Jounouchi jumps out of his seat to catch him.

"Kaiba!"

"NII CHAN!"


	9. the bleeding heart

Ch9

The bleeding heart

Atem leaps over the table landing heavily on the tile floor, he sets himself beside Jou who tries to rouse him awake. Atem places his hand on kaibas for head then under his jaw.

"he is cold, and I can barely feel a pulse.."

" he's so light, has he been eating at all?"

Bakura moves around the table, not sure if he can help at all, otogi and honda sit bewildered in their places.

"no, nii chan, he hasn't been coming to dinner lately. Or really anything, he keeps running and... I think he throws up, but I don't know how, he doesn't eat. I cant get him to do more than drink those protein shakes."

Moonlace scoots back in her chair and walks around the table, she sighs as she looks closely at kaiba. He lays in Jounouchis arms, with shallow breath and a paling complexion. She places her hand on his forehead and shakes her head.

" he is heart sick..."

She places her hand from his forehead over to his stomach, she slips one hand under his shirt and smiles sadly at them.

"funny thing about our species, we have children few and far between, so some times there are those of us that born as silver bloods. Silver bloods are born with an usually high fertility rate, and an abnormal anatomy. The males are capable of bearing children, bet you didn't know that."

The group at large stares at her in shock, Jounouchi chews his lower lip not wanting her to clarify what she is hinting at.

" It would appear that our dear little one has found a mate, and a lucky one indeed. It would appear that he is … with child."

"WHAT!?"

Helios and winter blade roar in unison. Strike runner quirks an eyebrow he speaks slowly.

"he has not been associating with any of the clan members... we would have been aware of that. This would insinuate that he has mated with a human."

Helios snarls in fury, he stands up tall slamming his fists down against the table smashing through the wood.

" THAT MUST NOT HAPPEN! To touch a filthy human!"

Atem leers at the three at the head of the table.

" you asked me here change my opinion of you, you have yet to do anything to merit a positive change in my thoughts of your people. The more you talk the less I think of you, was that your goal?"

The elder closes his eyes and tries to reign in his temper before he attempts to assert his authority over the pharoh, to whom he has no actual authority over. With distaste he watches as moonlace helps Jounouchi take kaiba to his bedroom, he inwardly curses her as she pushes his hair from his face. Mokuba follows his brother away up the stairs guiding Jounouchi and moonlace through the maze of hallways. Winter blade sighs and looks to Atem, wanting to explain without coming off as condescending.

" this is an old law, one of the fist ones we ever instated. To keep ourselves separated so as not to dilute our very rare blood, there are not many of us left you know."

"dilute your blood?"

Atem leers at the the three before turning his head to the side, refusing to look at them.

" this is not your home, I suggest you leave it now."

Helios stands and bellows at Atem.

"YOU DARE TELL US TO LEAVE THIS PLACE! YOU MAY BE PHAROH BUT YOU ARE STILL A MERE HUMAN SO YOU-"

Atem turns to face him, lifting his empty plate onto its rim, watching it spin slowly, a game forming itself in his head.

"what say you we play a game then?"

Upstairs Jounouchi lays kaibas frail body down on his soft bed, moonlace stepping off to the attached bathroom in search of a watch cloth and basin. Mokuba stares at his brothers sleeping face, then looks to Jou.

"he'll be okay right?"

Jounouchi sighs and runs his fingers through through Kaibas hair and gently cups his face. Its impossible not to see the dark circles under his eyes, he reaches over to hold kaibas hand only to find him abysmally thin.

"mokuba, how long has he not been eating?"

" I think since... you guys left. He just started staring out the window all the time, like he was looking for something."

Moonlace steps out of the bathroom with a white washcloth in hand, she looks at the trio by the bed.

" stoneclaw..."

Mokuba turns to look at the old lady moving toward the bed.

"yes ma'am?"

" I can't seem to find a basin a dear, could bring one up, fill it with ice as well. We want to get rid of that fever."

" a bowl of ice, okay."

Mokuba slides off the edge of the bed and hurries out the door, moonlace sits quietly in his place.

"you are his mate?"

Jounouchi looks over at her with a weak smile, his gaze falls back to kaiba filled with longing.

"ah, he told me to leave. So I don't think so."

"he is very smart, he tried to hide you from us."

Jou looks up quizzically at her, his thumb rubbing soft circles on the side of kaibas hand.

" what? I though he would get in trouble for it..."

"well yes, it takes two, so we would punish the both of you. Although we have never had to deal with this before."

"why, is.. why is it that..."

Jounouchi trails off as he searches for the words.

"why is it wrong? Why are we against it?"

"yea"

At the sound of that familiar voice, Kaiba tries to lift his too heavy eyelids. He succeeds only halfway, he sees that look of concern on Jou and feels somehow guilty. His mind is filled with a dull ache, he cant seem to speak, so settles to listen instead.

"it is not why most seem to think it is. Many of our clan are under the impression that we are above humans, too good to bother interacting in such an intimate way with them. That is not why, it is because we are frail. Our bodies are strong and durable yes, but as you can see here if our heart breaks our bodies will follow. Humans are fickle and rather whimsical. So concerned with beauty and such. We in our truest face, are far from beautiful in your perspective. We look dangerous, for we made that way. We choose not to mate, because we should never mate with someone to whom we cannot show our truest face to. If we do, and our face is the reason our love should leave, than it shatters our hearts. We fall down sick and we die slowly. This is true on all fronts, so we are not as friendly and sociable as humans. We come off as cold and antisocial, but we are not, we simply cannot tolerate the pain of loss. The way you look at him, tell me. Would keep him knowing that is not his truest face?"

Jou shuts his eyes and smiles as an image flashes in his mind

"he has yellow eyes and sharp teeth, I don't think he meant to show me that. But I don't mind, I like him because he is himself. I suppose if he was some other way, I wouldn't like him as much. I don't care about how his appearance changes, I just like him."

The door creaks and Mokuba uses his shoulder to push it open, his arms wrapped around a red plastic bowl half filled with ice. He looks over at his brother who's breathing had finally steadied he then walks off to the bathroom to fill it with water. Moon lace smiles as she watches him shuffle last them, she turns back to Jou.

"he is heartsick, stay with him and will be well again. And do make sure he eats, this is very unhealthy for your litter."

Jou pales slightly

"litter? Like a pile of kittens?"

She stands up and dusts off her lap smiling all the while.

" I wouldn't say 'pile'. But yes multiple infants, we have children very rarely but when we do, its usually about six or seven at a time."

Jounouchis eyes go wide, he works his jaw trying to say the number but cant seem to find his voice.

"don't worry love, only one or two ever survive."

" that makes me feel even worse!"

" anyway I better take the other away before they start a fight-"

" oh yea, Atem looked pretty pissed- don't let them play any penalty games."

She quirks an eyebrow curiously before stepping out of the room. Mokuba peeks out of the bathroom looking rather embarrassed.

"Jou... its too heavy I cant pick it up."


	10. the warning

ch10

warning

It is a few days later that Moonlace sighs in an empty room, listening to the sound of Helios roaring at his medics, how useless they are. What was the point of hiring them if they cannot do anything to assist his comatose council members. Winter blade and strike runner lay in their respective chambers with their minds locked up tight, nowhere to be found. despite every effort he extends, no one can wake them, not their shaman nor the oracle, no doctor even knows where to start.

She stands at the window, listening to him damn the very ground that the Pharoh walks on. She listens to the obscenities he streams as he mentions the 'kaiba boy'. He has plans, her eyes go wid7e when she realizes the punishment for what has happened. Fury and fear boil in her veins and a familiar pain overtakes her as her face becomes triangular, her spine conforming to a different shape. Her dress slides off her bizarre body, her long spidery hands with their bulbous knuckles press against the glass and silently shoves them forward. She takes her small dress in her wide flat hands with their yellowed claws and tosses it behind a potted plant before lumbering out the window and loping down the gardens into the inky black night.

In the kaiba estate Jounouchi walks up the stairs carrying a tray of freshly made tomato soup, and toasted french bread. Leans his shoulder against the door pushing it open, there in bed is Kaiba sitting up reading an application from one of thirty midwives in his clan applying for the position. He finds himself slightly disappointed in that thirty is a rather low number in consideration to the one hundred and ninety seven available. He watches the door open and smiles weakly at Jou who has once again made his dinner. Despite all his maids and cooks he doesn't eat anything Jounouchi didn't cook.

Jou sets the tray down beside the bed, and takes the pile of papers from Kaibas hands.

"babe this can wait a bit, you need to eat alright."

Kaiba just shifts in place and pushes his hair out of his face before allowing Jou to place the tray over his lap. Jounouchi smirks placing a kiss on kaibas cheek, his face tints a bit pink.

" you look good babe, your getting some color back."

Kaiba smirks sheepishly up taking a spoonful of his soup.

"yes..."

" did you check the scale?"

"yes."

" and?"

"three pounds so far."

"thats good, now eat."

"are you TRYING to make me fat?"

"yea."

A sudden tolling at the door diverts their attention. Jou sticks his head out the window and sees a bizarre shadow at the door. He turns to look at kaiba, who seems completely unpeturbed.

"I wonder who-"

"its moon lace"

"how can you-"

"just let her in, its the servants day off. She smells like panic."

Jou turns for the door and rushes through the hallways that he's learned to navigate into the open down the curling staircase across the foyer into the entry way where he slips across freshly waxed tile and slams into the door. He fumbles with the three deadbolts before yanking the heavy door open and finding himself staring directly up at 'moonlace' with her gray fur glowing reddish eyes and long misshapen body so obviously built for strength and maneuverability.

He steps to the side to let her in trying not to be rude by gawking at her hundreds of long needle sharp teeth. She steps in, ducking under the doorway as she walks past jou. She lopes into the foyer taking a blanket off from a recliner by the fireplace. Jou walks in to see the far more familiar face of moonlace as she wraps the blanket around her self.

" thank you Mr Jounouchi, you should close that door, where is Kaiba?"

"in bed, hes eating dinner..."

She dashes up the stairs as Jou glances outside and shuts the door turning all the deadbolts in place. He goes up the stairs after her surprised by her speed, in his head he tries to place what he saw on his weirdness scale. Looking back on his life and the bizarre adventure that is his friendship with yugi, this while odd, is not the freakiest thing he's come across. He mentally merits cat people as an eight out of ten.

Jounouchi strolls into the room as Moonlace speaks quickly to Kaiba. As soon as she spots Jou strolling in she motions for him to hurry in.

"as I was saying, what the pharoh did, has caused much unrest. Also adding to this is the news of your coupling... people of our clan are very much unsure of what to do with this situation. The penalty for choosing to mate with a human is... unfortunately death."

Jou sits and places his arm around kaibas shoulders, holding him close.

"however, we do not harm children for any given reason. So for the duration of your pregnancy you are safe... although I am not positive we should count on that. Helios... he is...ah. Well I will stall his judgment for as long as I am able to. Until then you need to pack up find somewhere safe to go, I will return to you when I am sure it is safe. You understand."

They both gawk at her in horror, kaibas eyes wide. He tries to speak, only to clamp his eyes shut as he locates his voice.

" you mean to tell me-"

She reaches forward to hold his hand in her own.

" I know, it isn't fair. I do and I truly am sorry, I wish so much that I could simply decide to leave you be. I am only part of the council, Helios can over rule me. I can stall him and I will -until then, I strongly suggest you ask that the pharoh stay near you until you may leave. Helio's is afraid of him, that is for now, fear never holds him back for long."

With that she turns to look out the open window, she rushes it and by the time she sets foot on the window sill she has become the strange creature that stood at the door a moment ago. She drops her cover and jumps out the window landing silently and melding into the night.

Jou walks over taking the blanket and folding it up before shutting the window and locking it tightly. Jou looks at the stack of papers on the bedside table, he picks up the top sheet and looks at it for a moment before crumpling it up and pitching it across the room. He turns to look at kaiba who is simply sitting with his eyes tightly shut, thinking.

" babe, you still need to eat."

"I've lost my appetite."

"fine, but feed them."

Jou places his hand on kaibas currently flat belly, rubbing in small circles. Kaiba slaps his hand away angrily, grudgingly he pitches to spoon of to the side and drinks the bloody red tomato soup. After placing the bowl down he watches Jou begin to pace the floor as he dials yugi's number on his outdated cell phone. He watches as Jou tries to get Sugoroku off the line to fetch his grandson, all the while munching on the piece of toast that was left on the tray. Almost half an hour of disgruntled small talk later he can hear Yugi on the line. After having finished his toast, kaiba finds himself unpleasantly thirsty.

Since Jou is busy on the phone trying to explain their predicament to Yugi who is letting Atem eavesdrop, kaiba pushes the tray off his lap and moves get out of bed. As he tosses the blanket off him and places his feet onto his plush carpet jou covers the mouthpiece of his phone and mouths.

'whats up?'

kaiba whispers, back.

"just getting a drink."

jou makes to shoo him back into bed.

"don't worry I'll get it."

suddenly agitated kaiba glowers at him.

" I'm not a cripple, I can get my own drink-"

"but-"

" I've been in bed all damn day, I want to walk around my OWN DAMN HOUSE!"

Jou can the distinct silence on the other side of the phone line. He fidgets slightly, wondering if mood swings are supposed to crop up this quick, or if kaibas just upset from their wonderful bit of news.

"fine but I'm going with you."

" what you think I'm going to fall down and break my hip?! What do-"

Jou lowers the phone and places his hands on kaibas shoulders.

" I'm nervous and paranoid and she said you where heart sick. And I don't want anything to happen cause I wasn't with you. Kay so don't get mad just humor me okay."

"fine."

Jou brings the phone back up to his ear to finish his conversation, his other hand twined in Kaibas as they walk at a rather lazy pace off to the distant kitchens.


	11. midwife

Ch.11

Midwife

Three days have passed since Moonlaces ominous warning and a woman sits in the living room answering all the questions Kaiba can think to ask. After a moment he simply watches her shift her weight uncomfortably on the couch, she answers correctly. Everything shes says is something he wants to hear, however there is fear all over her, dripping from her pores and she is not very good at hiding it.

With a huff he waves her off, Asuka stepping in to escort the confused woman out the door.

"you know, you're going to run out of people to interview soon."

Atem says from his place on a small cushioned chair to the left of the couch on which the woman had been sitting. Kaiba doesn't answer, he just takes the foremost paper off the dwindling stack in his hands and crumples it before pitching it into the fireplace.

" she was terrified, I need someone I can count on. This midwife has to be willing to leave when I do."

Atem places his elbow up on the arm of the chair propping his chin on the heel of his palm.

" you know how much your asking don't you? You may not even find someone willing to go through all this with you."

Kaiba simply looks at Atem dejectedly, he's had that thought a thousand times. He looks down at his own stomach, wondering just what it is that going on in there. Keeping his hands on the arms of the chair and paperwork he momentarily wonders if he should just settle to have some one on hand for now. Its right as Asuka brings in the next applicant that Kaiba excuses himself and marches briskly away, leaving the small pudgy woman alone with the pharoh. Atem looks at the woman bored, he notes her curious expression and decides to answer what she didn't ask.

" Apparently morning sickness can happen at any point in the day."

" oh yes,oh my... poor dear."

" it seem to happen mainly when Jounouchi isn't around, otherwise he seems fine."

" Jounouchi?"

"Kaibas...how do you say... mate? I mean, he is the father of the infants, but I am unsure as to their current relationship. I know that Jou takes care of Kaiba... but that's as much as I know."

" where is this Jounouchi now?"

" he said he would be back in the afternoon... but didn't say where he went."

"that's odd."

"this whole situation is odd."

The small woman places the tips of her fingers on her lips and giggles. It is right then that asuka comes rushing out from hallway behind them carrying a bucket and an armful of various anti nausea medications. She bolts past them leaving the pair staring quiets in the direction she disappeared into.

" ah, this is the first time Jou has left his side in a few days."

She looks at Atem worriedly, as every moment ticks by she seems to fidget in place more and more. After all of five minutes she stands bolt upright and begins pacing nervously wringing her hands, atem arcs an eyebrow at her.

" where you in a hurry?"

" his mate is this jounouchi person yes? And they have not parted since the conception?-"

" actually they've need apart almost a month- jou came and stayed pt when he found out about the pregnancy."

" this is increasingly worry some, it sounds so much like heartsickness."

" I do believe that is what the one called moonlace said he was afflicted with."

She freezes in place and looks to Atem in cold fury, the muscle beneath her right eye twitching violently as her lip begins to curl. Atem finds himself mildly apprehensive of her and the waves of absolute fury that radiate off her.

" he has heart sickness... you knew about it and you still let his mate LEAVE!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!? WHYYYYY WOULD THAT SEEM LIKE AN ITTELIGENT DECISION!?"

Atem slouches slightly in his chair not speaking, but really quite grateful when Asuka comes bounding into the room looking harassed and flustered. She stares for a moment at the small nameless pudgy woman who quickly turns her piercing glare on her.

" where is mister kaiba? How ill is he? Take me to him, immediately!"

Asuka unsure of how to aid her master in is current state simply nods and quickly ushers the woman down the hall and into the closest bathroom. The room is various shades of pastel blue, the tub sink and toilet are all perfectly white porcelain. Kaiba slumps against the wall with his fingertips on the small silver handle, he pulls it down flushing the noiseless toilet. He look at the woman who steps in scoffing at the various bottles of medications, she shoves them all in the garbage before turning to look at kaiba. She opens her mouth to speak only to wind up pushing his hair out of his face and rubbing small circles in his back as his stomach revolts yet again. As she does this she looks over to asuka who fidgets in the door way holding a small pile of fluffy towels.

" what he been eating lately?"

" the master will only eat what jounouchi makes for him."

" what is it that he cooks."

" tomato soup and toast, he tried to makes more solid foods, but they didn't stay down."

"...thats all? He needs blood, those babies are hungry and tomatos aren't gonna cut it."

" I can go fetch a rabbit from the gardens."

"no, a goat would be better preferably a female. We have to make the stew so he can gain some mass"

" I have never made... goat blood ...stew before. I do not believe the cooks have either."

" well of course not, its a recipes passed down through the guardians."

" well then I suppose I should acquire a goat then..."

" yes, tell that fellow on the couch to help me gather mister kaiba and take him to his chambers."

" how about I call isono for that."

" who?-"

The small pudgy woman blinks at the place where asuka was, listening to the fading sound of briskly clicking heels. Kaiba huffs reaching over to flush again, she moves from his side and rummages in the mirror plucking out a bottle of mouthwash. Kaiba blinks at the small cap full minty liquid accepting it reluctantly.

" now lets get rid of that nasty taste, then we'll get you up to bed where you can rest. You look exhausted dear."

She listens to the drawn out splash of him spitting the fluid into the toilet, then the thump of his back hitting the wall heavily. He means to blink but forgets to open his eyes, Asuka and Isono enter the room to find their master asleep and the nameless woman spinning the cap back on the mouthwash. At this point it is yugi that sits nervously in the chair watching as Isono carries kaiba back up the stairs followed by a strange small woman. Asuka walks towards the front door pausing only to shoo yugi off to follow the small parade before she leaves to find a healthy female goat.

yugi trots over struggling to keep up with isonos long hurried strides, the nameless woman turns to look at him.

" would you be a dear and bring me my purse? I left it out there in the sitting room."

A/n: i know this chapter is really quite short, but it was just so you could meet the help. hope you liked it, i didnt intent for her to turn out this way but she just sort did her own thing without my say so


	12. companion

Ch. 12

Companionship

Asuka walks into the house after having tied the plump goat to a post far from the garden, which it had attempted to eat. She wrinkles her nose at a strange odor coming from her masters bed room, a strange smoke seeping out from under the door. Her eyes widen and forgetting everything else she rushes down the long hallway and barrels into the door smashing it out of its frame. Small splinters fly into the muted room, she looks about only to find yugi falling out of a chair and gaping at her. In the wide bed lays Kaiba sound asleep in his vast bed, the temporary midwife holding a fan made of bird feathers. She arcs an eyebrow at the horrified expression on Asuka as she spreads the smoke from a pile of smoldering bones and herbs about the room. In her small hand is a hollow metal ball hanging from a chain whitish smoke seeping out from its many star shaped holes. The colorful fan is used to sway at the long tendrils causing the odor to seep into the room itself, the carpet and walls the blankets on his bed.

Asuka looks at Kaibas chest rising and falling in calm even breathes, she collapses on the floor taking her face in her hands stammering an excuse for her poor behavior as she attempts to hold back the tears that torrent from tightly clenched eyes.

" I j- just s-saw the smoke a- an- and I I I..."

She forgets trying to speak and sobs into her hands as the distant memory of shrill high pitched screaming echoes in her eyes as if it where happening all over again. The sound of small fists slamming into the too heavy door that refused to open, coupled with the weakening scream from within. She looks through her blurred vision at her master vowing to herself never to leave his side, just as she had on that night.

"w-why.."

Asuka rights herself, standing upright and pressing the wrinkles from her apron laden pencil skirt before wiping the weakness off her face.

" what is this smoke for?"

The woman continues to walk about the room swaying the smoking orb from one hand as she goes, she doesn't mention the quickness to which the maid had recovered from her apparently horrifying assumptions. As the smoke begins to ebb she smiles at asuka as she rolls the chain from which the ball hangs around her palm.

"it is the burning of ram horns, white fox bones, and red sage. The sage will calm him, to see that he is rested as much as he will need. The ram horns coupled with the bone fragments are to instill strength and good fortune in the embryos, this must be done at least once every week, more often as time moves in. If we keep to the old ways, it s possible that all of the offspring may survive."

Asukas face twists into one of deep anxiety, her hands gripping themselves tightly.

"why is it that as of late, offspring are so rare? What has changed in our people, are we cursed to dwindle into relics of times past ?"

The midwife walks across the room setting the smoking orb onto a rimmed metal plate on the bedside table, allowing it to give the remnants of its self to the occupant of the bed.

" we do not cling to the old ways where we ought to. We have changed the things we should not have, so many have forgotten how to bring life into this world, so concerned with not allowing the life that is here to leave. How unfortunate, to live without the gift of death."

Asuka finds herself curious of this woman, who appears wizened in her heart, the thought of death leaving a look of deep longing etched into her soft features. The strange woman shakes off the feeling of loss as it where nothing but an unwanted coat before looking to the house maid with her luminous odd eyes.

"ah, so did you retrieve a good and healthy goat?"

A few miles away Jounouchi sits on the train with a large cardboard box sitting on his lap and single skeleton key sitting in his pocket. On his shoulder hangs a heavily used gray duffel bag, it had been black when he first got it. The bag is stuffed to full the seams can be seen desperately trying to hold the bag together, the zippers individual teeth straining to grip each other.

He smiles as he peeks into the lidless box before standing to hop off the train, finally finished setting everything in order. Jounouchi can now stay at kaibas estate without feeling guilty, wondering if his drunk oaf of a father remembered to eat. As he wandered through the crowded subway carefully guarding his lidless box all the way up the stairs. Jou grins ear to ear as he steps out, his smile fading as he realizes that dusk is falling. Will honda have been by kaibas place already?

Glancing around jou places one foot on a nearby fire hydrant and placing his box on his knee. He uses his second hand to hail down a cab only now wondering if kaiba will be pleased about his delivery. Only just a moment after having lifted his arm a bright yellow cab rolls to a halt in front of him, he pops open the door tossing his duffel bag in, it miraculously does not fall apart. He sets the box down in the seat and gingerly scoots it forward as he sets himself down in the small remainder of the seat.

The driver is an old heavily tanned man who twist in his seat and asks in his gravelly smokers voice.

"where to?"

Jou smiles again as he peers in the box shifting the blanket he keeps at the top of it, in place of a lid. Offhandedly jou says, as if it not in the leastways strange.

"kaiba manor."

The smoker scoffs then laughs, shaking his head as he pulls out into the road.

"whatever you say."

Almost half an hour later jou sticks his hand out the window of the cab, pressing small red button on the wall of the gate. Mokubas cheery voice welcomes him in asking where he went.

" I'll tell you when I get in okay."

The smoker driving the cab blinks, stunned as the curling iron wrought gates yawn open to allow the dented and scratched cab entry. The yellow vehicle putters along the impressive driveway all the way to the door, allowing jou to hand his duffel bag to the butler waiting by the door. Jou digs in his back pocket and takes a large chunk of his weeks pay from his wallet, passing it to the driver.

Another butler reaches to take the box from Jounouchi who laughs him off, giddiness flopping about in his stomach.

Kaiba wakes up to sight of one of his butlers carrying in a familiarly scented bag, large enough to hold a child's body. He pushes himself into a sitting position looking at the bag the butler sets down on top of his dresser.

" Jou is home?"

" he has returned to the estate. He is carrying with him a large box, seems really quite excited about showing you what its contents are."

Kaiba nods, stifling a yawn as the butler sees himself out, pausing at the door to allow jounouchi to enter before he exits.

" hey love!"

Kaiba blinks and jerks his head immediately in Jous direction, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

" whats with the box? Where where you all day?"

Jous grin returns to his face as he shuffles over to sit beside kaiba, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before setting the box down beside him. He reaches in lifting a dark purple wool blanket from the top tossing it off to the side before getting on his knees and reaching in with both arms.

" I wanted you to meet Cognac, my very first friend."

From the depths of the well sized box Jou pulls an obnoxiously large cream colored cat with a chocolate face paws and ears. Standing on his knees Jou holds the tired looking animal up against his chest, the second half of its body still inside the box. Raising his arms up high to completely remove the animal from its confines, Kaibas eyes go wide as saucers when he realizes how large the cat actually is.

"what is that?"

" its cognac, I had her checked and the lady at the shop says she's a rag doll, lucky me huh?"

" you want it to stay … here?"

"well I want to stay here and take care of you, but I cant stay here and leave her with my dad. Especially after what he did to my hamster."

"the... em hamster … died?

Jou drapes the large cat over kaibas lap, not noticing the way kaiba lifts his hands so as not to touch it.

"yea, I asked him to refill its water, and I guess vodka looks a lot like water to him... even with the bright red label."

Cognac turns his large fluffy head to take a look at kaiba, one ear flicks but otherwise he doesn't move.

" why exactly... did you bring this monster here? You could have left him with your friends."

"I could have, after all hondas watching soco, but this cat is older than I am. Really he was already pretty big when I found him.-"

" found?"

" yea, she was real thin, and scrappy lookin, tossed in an alley. So I brought her home and took care of him. My dad named him cognac and I guessed that meant I could keep him. But I brought her here cause, she's a real good girl. I thought ,cause I'm sure I'll probably piss you off for something or another eventually, that you could keep her close cause she always makes me feel better when I feel like crap."

Kaiba eyes the behemoth over taking the lower portion of his body, still not sure he wants to touch it.

"how long have you had this cat?"

" since I was four."

A pang of guilt goes off in kaiba as he had been planning to him the cat has to go. He looks at it again, just laying on him as if it firmly believed it was a throw pillow, tentatively he places his fingers on its long beige fur. Softer than silk and warm to the touch, Jou plops over beside kaiba tossing the box to the side roughly he rolls the cat onto its back and rubs its stomach then bats at its arms flopped over its head. Kaiba whips his hand away expecting it to retaliate, nope it just blinks, very slowly, its tail not so much as swaying.

" It's cool cause if I take good care of him he could be around to watch these guy's"

Jou places his hand on kaibas still flat stomach before reaching over to lift the massive cat and curl it into a fetal position, so as to hold it like an infant. Slowly kaiba drags his hand over its head, he gives a small smile as the sound of its purr vibrates up his fingertips.

" is soco another cat?"

" nope, soco is the puppy cognac brought home."

kaiba arcs an eyebrow at Jou.

" puppy? Your cat brought home a dog?"

"sort of, she was supposed to have kittens... but she's really old and they didn't make it. So she was really sad for a long time. I think she wanted to be a mommy, anyway I noticed that she kept leaving the house. Over and over she would leave with one of her treats, I followed her down the alley way and watched her drop her treat by a skinny dog. I went to see what happened... cause you know, December gets so cold and...the dog didn't move. But under her was all these little puppies, brand new. I think they had to be like only a week old maybe. They where almost all dead, but she kept pawing at the dogs stomach and she wound up sort of pushing it. I looked closer and there was, just one little guy under there wiggling around. I couldn't leave him there so we brought him home and she took care of him like he was her little baby."

kaiba reaches out and pulls the cat from jous arms, heavier than he thought it would be. He holds it close against his chest , listening to it purr against him, feeling the sound of its pleasure vibrate against his chest. Jou smiles at the image, he knew damn well cognac would like kaiba and every one warms up to cognac eventually.

"you left her baby with honda?"

" I wasn't sure you would want a dog here. He's a big boy, real tall. He grew up real handsome."

Kaiba watches Jou's chest puff up with pride as he talks about the dog this giant ancient cat raised as a kitten.

" well, is he house trained? He goes outside to do his business?"

" yep, he even digs a hole and covers it up just like she does."

Jou snickers at the thought. kaiba blinks, not positive he believes that.

" I suppose he can … stay here."

Jous smile is stunning, he reaches over to hug kaiba who drops the cat onto the bed. It merely settle in place rather than be upset about the random drop. Jou hugs and holds Kaiba close, peppering his face with quick kisses.

" thank you thank you thank you! I know you'll like him he's a good boy, he knows fetch and sit and he likes to sit with you and he's real quiet-"

Feeling slightly overwhelmed Kaiba begins pushing Jou and all his copious amounts of gratitude away.

"alright alright I get it, your dog is a damn god."


	13. stale mate

Ch. 13

Stale mate

Across the city in a cream colored room, Helios broods by his fireplace. He sits in a black leather wing backed chair, one arm slung across his lap the other swirling a small stout glass of amber liquid. Moonlace leans in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest and her face twisted in an expression of deep distaste, he tilts his head sideways, so his cheek almost touches his shoulder. His narrowed eyes glaring drunkenly at her, she looks at him in return suddenly indifferent to his hate.

" you intend to drink yourself into a coma and lay beside them?"

He stands jolt upright and pitches his cup at her where it shatters across the wall, she merely arcs an eyebrow at him. He stands to snarl at her, launching spittle through his elongating teeth, his bones shifting hideously beneath his thinning stretching skin. customarily half lidded almond shaped eyes flash open wide as saucers, bulbous almost leaping from they're sockets.

One tottery step after another toward her with changing legs, bones growing longer, his feet growing longer until the heel is far from the balls of his feet and fat clawed toes. Moonlace can hear it, his spine pulling against itself to tower over her, his shoulders pull apart broadening to a frightening degree. Thick wiry dark hair sprouts from his too small pores, causing him even more discomfort. Skull has reformed to that of a downward facing triangle, his wide bloodshot bulbous eyes glaring down from over his flat smashed looking nose and thin lips which are pulled back over his rows of narrow pink tinted teeth.

He is not as he was. Not the face he showed to her when they met and became as one. She looks at him, her face riddles with disappointment and shame. She does what she has never done.

She looks away.

He opens his long arms and curls his long spidery fingers all his bloodstained claws exposed. He inhales deeply, humiliation writhing in his stomach and he roars with all that he has. It is the sound of something prehistoric, like a tiger, a bear, a dragon, a beast, one should never wish to hear.

He belts all his fury at her, smashing his fists down into the walls behind her head. She looks pointedly at the door handle.

" you are foul."

With that she raises her chin turns on her heel and marches down long dark corridor of the place that once was home. The walls all covered with painting she has stopped looking at, her heart filled with longing as her eyes graces over the fading colors. These images of her husband and herself as they where so many moons ago.

Behind her the monster whales and roars, mourning his loss, but how could he not have known. After all she was lost to him so long ago.

It is eleven at night, she sits on the rooftop outside the window beside their bed. She smiles at the image they make together, they are worth it. Kaiba wearing his truest face and form all curled up and tucked in strong warm arms. His face pressed against Jounouchis chest, listening to his heartbeat as he sleeps. Blankets are pulled up to his shoulders, Jou refusing to allow him to be exposed to the night, to anyone's eyes but his. It is difficult to know that he is not sleeping in disguise, in his human flesh. She smiles seeing the tips of his long triangular ears poking out from his chestnut brown hair, twitching as the air conditioners breezes brush over the long silky fur of his ears.

A cold chill runs up her spine, her gaze shifts to a glowing set of eyes at the foot of their bed, staring directly back at her. It looks at her as though it unsurprised by her sharp face and bizarre body, her long tapered tail flicking nervously back and forth. The expression on whatever it is one of disinterest, she finds no malice in it, so leaves it be. She leaps off the rooftop to one a few levels lower, landing silently beside the front door. She blinks and turns to look directly at the amused looking face of the pharoh.

"might ask what brings you here at this hour?"

The interest in his voice is palpable, he is entertaining her thoughts. She looks at him and his lazy smirk.

" I... I had a doubt. I needed to quell it."

" oh and this doubt was?"

" I had doubts in the humans ability to accept his mate. All of him."

" you should have mentioned that, he would have told of their first... encounter."

She looks at him curiously.

" that he saw yellow eyes and sharp teeth... that is little of the face beneath."

Atem sighs walking over to her and reaching up to place a hand on on of her broad bony shoulders and says with all confidence to her.

" we have seem as a monster once. This face you speak of, it brings us no fear, no fear like the face he once wore. He grown beyond that, become stronger than what he was, the face he shows Jou, is not one to fear. He shows this to Jou, knowing it is well to do so. We find solace in that, in that Kaiba has trust enough to expose that much of himself."

The Pharoh removes his hands wandering back to the front door, he pauses and says over his own shoulder.

" If you wish to see a monster, let me show you."

With that he steps back inside and shuts the door, she listens to the deadbolt fall in place. Moonlace wanders back home skirting lights and loping along in the darkness, Atems words repeating themselves in her head.

She sets foot back onto her own property, finding silence weighing the place down. Moonlace sets down in a window, regaining a human step as she walks along, passing a dresser, she snatches a soft red robe off a hook on the wall snapping it shut as she walks out the rooms door. She pads silently down the long arced hallway, following an unfamiliar scent... scents. Inwardly her guard is high and strong all her paranoia unnaturally still as as she comes to a white door with a curled brass handle. Her ear is millimeters from the door now, low dangerous whispers float back and forth. Some one speaks with venom in their words, in their intentions. She listens until words cease and only ragged breath is heard along side the pacing steps of the speaker.

Moonlace pads away knowing they have no more to say, desperation making them uncreative and mildly predictable. Or perhaps she has simply been here for too long, too able to foresee her husbands actions. Either way, as far as they know, she knows nothing, she is nothing to them.

Hours later the sun has risen and Jounouchi wakes giddy for the day to come and for what it will bring. He smiles at kaiba who stays close far from ready to rise, but jou is too antsy to remain in bed. Thankfully he feels a heavy weight shift on the foot of the bed and watches his too large cat, cognac settle in beside kaiba who wraps his arms around the great lummox. He slips out of bed and into the house slippers he's getting used to owning, he hurries off to the hallway. Pausing and shutting the door behind him, he steps along slowly, a feeling of uncertainty forming in is belly. Without meaning to he finds himself almost pressed to the wall as he steps out further.

Eventually he finds himself at the foot of the stairs looking down at the maid Asuka. She stands stock still, with a dust rag placed in one hand, a bottle of cleaning solvent in the other. Her face however is turned to the the front door as if she expects something to smash it open. A minute passes and nothing comes, the door remains intact. the feeling writhing in his stomach intensifies, eventually he turns and bolts up the stairs back to kaibas bedroom, where he sleeps on, Cognacs head jerks quickly to look at Jou. He stares at the window trying to place the feeling that weighs down heavily on the estate.

Calm.

He knows this feeling, this sense of dread is very much familiar, he wonders exactly what it is that will come. Out the window Jous sees a familiar vehicle speeding along the too long driveway, it brings a great smile to his face. The sound of the cars unchecked engine makes kaibas ears twitch violently, eventually rousing him from his slumber. Cognac assist kaibas wake up by licking his nose and cheeks to wash his peach fuzz covered face.

"mmm who's here?"

Jou turns and lifts cognac up in his arms moving for the door.

"that's honda, he brought soco! You ready to meet cognacs baby?"

Kaiba sniffs unimpressed, his strange hands pushing his hair from his face.

" you go on, I'll be down in a bit."

Jounouchi grins, and bolts out the door and down the stairs his cat bouncing in his arms. Kaiba sighs tiredly and pushes the door shut, he avoids looking in the mirror this early. This is because he honestly finds this form of himself highly unpleasant, he hasen't a clue how Jou can look at this face and smile. Jou however does more than that, he kisses and love and spoils kaiba all the same, no matter what shape he wears.

Kaiba begins the altogether unpleasant task of reshaping himself into a human form, it is an easy form to leave behind, but becoming it again is tedious and slightly irritating. This is the difficult part, not being disgusted with himself as he watches his own bones shift and reform in a softer smoother way. Almost half an hour later he finds himself standing in front of the mirror making sure everything is as it should be, wide blue eyes gently shaped face. He can hear Jou laughing outside, no barking just yet. Maybe the dog really is quiet. That would be nice wouldn't it?

He pulls on his customary black turtle neck and then finds that his usual pants don't quite fit. It's not as though he cant simply pull a bit and button them that way, but he's never had to, why would he have to? After all he's made such a point of keeping his figure slim and fit. A few minutes later Jou comes and sticks his head in the door, happy as a clam.

" you coming out or...what?"

Jou walks in shutting the door behind him when he finds kaiba glowering at the edge of his bed. He turns to look at Jou with a fierce glare that could freeze water, jou only arcs an eyebrow quickly spotting the unfastened button. A grin creeps up his face, it throws kaiba off a bit.

" love... clothes not fitting right?"

He crosses his arms over his chest and purses his lips tightly looking away from jou, obviously more than upset about it.

"no."

Blue eyes go wide as Jous weight comes down on him, knocking him back onto the bed. Jou stays looking over him with that far too satisfied smile on his far too damn smug face.

" your gaining weight."

"your making me fat."

"your supposed to gain weight."

"...too damn quick."

" oh? Then let me get deardra, see what she says about all this, cause she told me you where too skinny."

" oh you think I'm too damn skinny now?! You WANT me to get fat!?-"

Before he can conjure up some argument or another he feels soft warm lips against his own, mad as he wants to be, Jounouchi does taste wonderful. They separate and Jou smiles at him as if he already knew. Jounouchi then jumps off the bed and bolts into the attached closet, kaiba only hears hima shoving things to the side, something scrapes the shelf and hits the floor with a dull thud. A moment later Jou emerges with what looks like kaibas usual pants, but somehow different. he drops them in kaibas lap, kisses his cheek and moves for the door.

" hurry up I want you to meet my soco okay!"

The door shuts quietly, kaiba glares down at what he realizes are black denim jeans. Half tempted to shred the damn things he tugs slightly on them, pausing a moment he holds them stretched taught and watches the fibers lengthen accommodating the applied force.

Down stairs a number of the maids and butlers peek out from behind a wall to get a look at Jous newest addition to the cast. Asuka fidgets nervously unsure of what to do, should she tell him the animal has to leave? But then again, he apparently brought home a cat, a massive one at that. Her master didn't make him throw that thing out, perhaps kaiba is permitting these things to be here. She curls her fist and presses her knuckles against her lip, so as not to start biting her nails. The a for mentioned cat rushed up to said dog and immediately began licking its long narrow face.

Kaiba stands at the bottom of his stairs watching his workers as they seem to panic as they gawk at the pair of animals in the hall beyond the entry way. He follows their line of sight and spots something he did not expect. Hiroto honda holding the leash to a tall lean looking doberman. It lays on the floor, allowing cognac to lick its face and ears although its attention is focused on Jou. A golden charm hangs off its bright red collar, the eye of ra. Yugi rounds the corner and spots honda, he almost leaps as he runs for them. The cluster stands by the door chatting excitedly about this and that, inwardly kaiba feels slightly guilty for separating jou from his friends as he has. They mean the world to him.

" why are all standing beside the door? I presumed you would wish to visit Jounouchi."

After he says this, he turns his gaze to the few remaining servants still watching.

" you there, get back to work."

Jou grins from ear to ear, he snaps his fingers, Soco the doberman quickly stands and waits for a command. Kaiba walks over slowly eying the dog carefully, noting the way cognac stays beside it. Jounouchi reaches out grabbing kaibas hand and holding it out like an offering for the dog, he can feel the way kaiba stiffens immediately.

"Soco, shake"

Jou lets go,kaiba holds his hand out extended, waiting for something to happen. The dog called soco raises one arm and places its rather soft paw into the center of kaibas palm. Unsure of what else to do, kaiba shakes its 'hand' only once before letting go. Jou points at kaiba directly but stares at the dog that stares back at him.

" soco guard."

Soco stands up and walks briskly to kaibas side and places himself a sitting position half a foot from kaibas side. Kaiba just blinks at the dog then jou.

"what? What is it doing?"

Honda snorts and yugi jumps at the opportunity to finally talk to Kaiba.

"Soco is guarding you! He'll make sure nothing gets to you when Jou isn't nearby."

A muscle beneath his left blue eye twitches at the thought of it.

" you... want a dog to follow me around all day? Why?"

Jous smile is one of absolute smugness, as if he knows he's already won this before it's become an argument.

"because I can't be with you all day, I have to work. Gotta keep a roof for my old man, otherwise he'll starve out on the street. I know it would be cool if you could keep Cognac with you all day, but she doesn't to travel if she doesn't have to. Soco is good, strong and fast, he'll keep you safe if something happens."

" what exactly are you expecting to happen? He's no match if Helios decides to do something..."

"He can do more than you think"

Feeling beyond unsatisfied with that answer kaiba huffs slightly and bends over to pick up cognac. Deciding not to get himself worked up kaiba changes the subject.

" Are you wishing to visit with Jounochi?"

" uh, sure I guess."

Jou smiles at kaiba wondering if he knows how he purses his lips when not happy.

" hey love..."

" yes suya"

Honda quirks an eyebrow at the pet name, but doesn't say anything.

" I was thinking that-"

kaiba fights the urge to roll his eyes at jous and he predictable requests.

" I assume this involves your friends and food."

" yeah, I was thinking we could have a barbaque, you know, cause that last dinner thing went over so well."

Kaiba glares daggers, but feels his face turn warm at the mention of that dinner party. The one, where he collapsed and every one there found out he was pregnant. Humiliating. He works his jaw not sure what to say to jou, who simply continues talking.

" well I figured, we got the awkward part outta the way so now we could get to the fun part!"

"...fine."

Across town otogi grins widely as he slaps his phone shut only to reopen it and dial for bakura. Bakura smiles to himself as hangs up the phone as he lets otogi get back to his life, the rifles through his drawers for something decent to wear. Phone lines ring awhile longer, muddling up the message until otogi finds himself standing in a 'babies r us' store with Anzu. All the while he mutters to himself, how it is exactly that she had got invited.

Moonlace watches her dear husband as stands in front of the living room window, looking more like himself. No longer reeking of alcohol and self pity, he turns to look at her, he extends one hands is if she should run into his arms like a small simpering wife should. No she picks up her purse from table and walks past him without giving him so much as a passing glance. pausing in the doorway she speaks to no one in particular and says aloud.

"that decision requires a full council, one should probably check on those two."

Helios watches her shut the door, he watches her trot along in her ankle high boots across the driveway to the shiny red convertible, waiting for her there. As the vehicle rolls out into the street he snarls as he walks along the various corridors until he finds the vegetative bodies of his council members untouched. He clenches his eyes shut only to find himself glaring at the flat line of the brainwave monitor.

About a block away Moonlace can hear the bursting roar of her husbands fury, she smirks to herself. The worst part of this for him is that this is his own fault, he neglected them. She did nothing, to him or for them.

Chess is one of her favorite games, and while she was always to kind to checkmate her husband, she never minded locking him in place. Stale mate. She muses to herself as she swings a right turn. Perhaps she should stop playing nice.


	14. rewrite

Ch.14

Rewrite

Kaiba stares at Jou with his brow furrowed in a rather intense glare, his arms crossed over his chest. Jou averts his eyes, feeling rather foolish for not having foreseen this possibility. To be fair he only actually invited otogo and bakura since honda was already here. Anzu being Anzu however does not realize that just because a party is happening at some point in time does not mean that she is invited to said party, or that she should invite others. Friendship, damnit.

" How many people are coming... Jounochi."

Jou flinches, kaiba wont really use that name unless he is thoroughly upset about something or another. He sits in a small stiff chair in the corner of the room, wringing his hands in his lap and worrying his lower lip.

" uh... um. Anzu invited mai-"

"kujaku!?"

"yea..."

Kaiba begins rubbing his temples as he feels a headache forming.

"who else?"

"well, um mai didn't invite any one, but shes bringing presents..."

Blue eyes go wide then quickly narrow in suspicion.

" why?"

"uh, I dunno but she seemed really excited about it."

"who else."

"...well I guess Anzu talks a lot with Ishizu-"

Kaibas right eye begins twitching but he doesn't say anything.

"and um, well she won't go anywhere without Malik, and Rishid follows him every where so yea... and then yugis grampa is coming too so... I think that's it."

" you think?"

" no one tells me everything, so that's what I know..."

Kaiba takes a deep breath and speaks in a manner to which others might refer to as a screaming. A second later the landscaper outside jumps and drops his pruning shears when the sound of something roaring breaks across the estate, effectively scaring half the workers out of their wits. Deardra the midwife however just tuts in the direction the sound came from, as she continues hanging parts of the goat in the kitchen, so they bleed freely into a large wooden bowl filled with various spices.

She looks behind her into the stark white oven, pressing a small button beside the temperature knobs, lighting up its inside. She smiles satisfied with the progress the goats head is making, she then wanders across the kitchen past the disgruntled looking cook and brings out a serving tray. The cook peeks over curious as to how she intends to make a goats head look less disgusting, or if she does. Deardra then pulls two small tied bushels of dried sage out of her apron pocket and wedges then inside the goats head. With a long bamboo skewer burning at the tip, she lights the sage. Admiring the image of a decapitated goat with some tendrils curling out of its eye sockets and nostrils.

About twenty minutes later Kaiba finds himself sitting at the dining table staring down an eyeless goat...head. Jounouchi sitting down beside him, more for support than to eat any of it. The midwife sets down a large serving bowl in front of Kaiba, then pours a ladle full of syrupy thick red liquid. Its smells strangely of allspice and ginger, Deardra then slices the cheeks off the goat and slides them neatly into Kaibas bowl. Jou squeezes Kaibas hand under the table, a small sign that he's not completely alone. Just as kaiba makes to lift up the silver soup spoon off the burgundy table cloth, the doorbell chimes.

His heard jerks quickly in the direction of the sound, the strong smell of sage and bloody red soup blocking out his only way of knowing who is at his door. At the doorway Asuka opens the door and bows to moonlace, who inhales deeply, then smiles at the maid.

" ah, may I speak with Mr. kaiba?"

" he is having lunch at the moment."

" I can tell, it is of some importance that I speak to him, I'm sure he wont mind me bothering him during his meal."

" this way please."

Asuka leads the way to down the various hallways, moonlace glancing down a longer hall and spotting smoke damage framing a single door in the distance. She mentally queries, but then determines not to ask of it. She blinks in mild shock when she is led to the dining room, a large red doberman glancing at her for a moment before it goes back to staring directly forward, at its feet is a long wide roll of beige fur, chocolate colored in various tips.

" sir, Moonlace has arrived."

Kaiba turns in his seat to look at her, he wants to greet her properly but finds that he is still quite unhappy about the meal steaming in front of him. Moonlace however looks at the goats head as if she could eat all in one bite. She then shuffles forward and sits down on kaibas other side she notes the way he looks at the bowl with distaste.

" you really should eat that, its quite delicious. Also its a specialty only made for those carrying little ones. Its fantastic for them, makes them strong."

Feeling rather defeated Kaiba grudgingly dips his spoon what he hopes isn't just a large bowl of blood, which it is. A moment later the cook steps out carrying a bowl of ramen for Jou, who grins beside himself when he sees how much grilled pork tops it. The cook then looks to moonlace

" would you like something to eat as well ma'am?"

" ah yes, that looks lovely. Thank you, oh and a glass of tea if you don't mind."

He nods to her and backs out of the room. Jou blinks at her, then his bowl and back at her.

"oi, you want this one? Its hot and I can wait a bit for another one."

she places a hand over her mouth trying to stifle a laugh.

"thanks you very much dear, but I'm fine to wait."

She watches as Jou makes a rather sour expression before scooting back out of his chair and walking the bowl of hot ramen over to her. He sets a pair of chopsticks across the top of the bowl before grinning at her and adding.

" girls shouldn't have to wait like that."

Again her hand is over her mouth, her shoulders shaking slightly with her effort to stifle her laughter.

" oh my, I can see why you chose this one."

She lightly bats kaibas shoulder, kaiba who is currently distracted by Deardra refilling his bowl.

"eh?"

" told you it was good."

" yes, you did."

An hour later

After having eaten a far to filling lunch the trio now sits in the living room, Jou and kaiba sitting together in the corner of the couch across from Moonlace who sits in a large cushioned armchair near the empty fireplace. The ceiling is domed and all the walls are the color of rich crème, silver framed advertising Mokubas life inside the estate. On the wall above fireplace mantle is the only image of Seto Jou has seen in the house, the image is one of a very young Seto in a crisp white jacket with gold trim. His small hands set on a very shy looking Mokuba's shoulders, Mokuba who wears a matching jacket and his own hands folded in his lap. Jounouchi doesn't like the picture, it reminds of Kaiba as he was when they first met.

The Kaiba that is, currently sits and every so slightly leans against Jou on the long pastel blue couch his own intense blue orbs fixed on Moonlace who relays every bit of information she has regarding the current state of things. Inwardly she notes the way jous hand grips Kaibas shoulder, tightening and loosening at the news she delivers. Kaiba unsure of how to take things, attempts to clarify.

" those... two... they have died? So then the council is incomplete, if this is so then there is council to speak of... there can be no judgment regarding our offspring until the council is reformed. Is this correct?"

Moonlace does not look pleased with these facts in the lease, she works her jaw a moment before responding.

" their bodies didn't die, the machines they are attached to had been keeping them alive although they had in fact gone brain dead some time ago. Since Helios was preoccupied, with all his scheming he was inattentive to them and did not know that they were lost to us. Now then as it stands whatever plans he has will have to wait til a new council is formed or he can simply... decide to be...done with it."

" done with it?"

Jous moves pull kaiba closer having an idea of what is to some. Kaiba however huffs slightly absent mindedly reaching up and gripping Jou's hand.

"what do you mean done with it?

"well, since their condition was because of the great pharoh. He may choose to call them, the first casualties of war-"

"WHAT!?"

Kaiba shouts in horror and shock, suddenly he finds his heart lodged in his throat.

" he wants to take me-"

"us."

" us to war!? What why- no he can't do that. I thought you could only take another clan to war AND there's only one clan of us! We aren't wolves or outsiders-"

Jou looks at moonlace, who doesn't seem to want to speak.

" It's not us..."

Kaiba stops dead mid rant, chest heaving as he struggles to refill his lungs. He jerks his eyes away from Moonlace and looks at Jou.

" he wants to call it on Atem... on yugi. Since hes our friend, we'll get in the way... take a side. When that happens, he can say whatever he wants and all anyone will see is that you turned on him."

Kaiba stares aghast at Jou, he bites his lip and looks at moonlace who won't return his gaze.

" but he's a pharoh, a royal spirit. The pharohs have always cared for our people, all of them. He , he can't attack atem...Atem didn't do anything to merit that. Can't you talk him out of it!?"

" I can try, I intend to do all I can... but the fact is I am only his wife-"

" shes only second in command, she's disposable."

Kaiba whips his hand away from Jou's and snaps around to face him in cold fury.

" HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT -"

He snaps his mouth shut when he's a distant expression on Jou, as if recalling something unpleasant. He watches as Jou shifts his hand, running his fingertips directly over where Kaiba knows his largest scar hides beneath his shirt.

They had left him for dead, that wound had been intended to kill him.

Kaiba finds that he suddenly cant look at jou, so crosses his arms over his chest, pressing his back against the couch and eyes moonlace.

"he's right. If he is going to reform the council, he will replace me. If he chooses to call Atem to war, I will likely become an unfortunate casualty. I can only appeal to as many of us as I can, try to warn people, make sure they know what he is doing. I have a few friends, I will try to call on them but I am not sure how much that will do. Have done what I asked earlier? Did you find a place to go if you must leave?"

Kaiba stiffens and glares sharply at her.

" No. I will not be chased out of my own home."

She turns to look at Jou, he seems to refocus and looks at her rather forlorn.

"yea."

Kaibas jerks to gape at Jou, he quickly shuts his mouth into a tight thin line. Rather than yell like he wants to he just sits there fuming. Moonlace overlooks kaibas reaction, she seems to sag with relief.

" it is safe?"

" yea"

" does anyone else know of it?"

"no, my mom was the only other person... and she's been dead a while."

" my apologies."

She turns to look at the grandfather clock ticking away in the corner, counting down. She sighs heavily as she realizes how long she has been here. All the dead silence that had stretched between their comments and she had not noticed the way the night had dragged on without them.

"ah, well it's getting rather late, I should be going now."

Moonlace watches Kaiba work his jaw, before shutting his eyes and half shouting.

"asuka"

Very quickly the sound of heels clicking down the hallway reaches them, she bows in the doorway before standing at attention awaiting her orders.

" please escort Moonlace out."

She bows again to kaiba, then turns to moonlace, who lets her sad eyes fall on Kaibas rigid form.

" ma'am, if you would please follow me."

Moonlace stands up, pausing in the doorway.

" I will return to inform you of what decision he's has made."

Kaiba looks at her his eyes cold and distant, he is masking his fury. She is firmly aware of why he is mad, not because of her, but she still doesn't like the way he looks this way.

"thank you. Good night."

With that Moonlace exits the doorway and follows Asuka through the maze of hallways. The sound of clicking heels fading into the distance. Jou turns to Kaiba, he opens his mouth to speak only for Kaiba to raise his hand, waving off whatever he might say.

" I don't care. No one is chasing me away. I don't give a crap what he decides, I am staying put. I earned this, I fought for this. This house is my home and I wont leave it behind."

"home?"

Jou sighs softly resting the back of his head on the couch, he closes his eyes and tries to recall a scene from childhood.

" home... it's little one bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. We keep the windows shut and there where potted plants all over the place, it was cluttered but I knew where everything was. I slept on the floor in the living room unless dad got in trouble. When that happened I would share the bed with Mom. That complex got torn down though, so now n mater how long I live somewhere its never really home."


	15. blood in the soil

Ch. 15

blood in the soil.

Kaiba glares at Jou, suddenly even more hurt than angry. His jaw clenches, he feels his throat tighten and stinging in the corner of his eyes. He had hoped Jou would have learned to call this place home, this where he and Mokuba are. This is where he intends to raise their children, how is that this could possibly not be home?

Kaiba stands up not knowing exactly where it is that his voice has gone, he huffs and marches out of the room. Jou blinks feeling guilty, he know he hurt his lover. He looks around the room into the only signs of life it bears, the various images of Mokuba his small face lit up on various stages of laughter. The house as it is, to Jou it reminds him so much of a mausoleum, it is beautiful and well kept. It reeks of death with damages littering its dark corners that no one will explain, the worst of it to him is the garden. Beautiful as it is, it goes untouched. The caretaker passes through to water and trim it, but mokuba seems to his luster near it. Smiles falter at the mention of it and Kaiba wont even look at it. Why would any one want to live here? What makes this place so great? A hundred rooms and no one to sleep in them. The busiest part of the place is the maids quarters...why is he so desperate to stay?

Up stairs a maid quickly dashes out of Kaibas way, she peeks out from her place pressed against the wall unsure if what she saw was real. Kaiba not wanting to be seen in this state of distress moves from walking briskly into a flat out run to his room. Without meaning to he bolts past Yugi who trips on himself and falls backward landing flat on his rear. Honda strolls up and lifts him off the cold tile floor, curious as to what would garner such a reaction out of cold unfeeling Kaiba. The pair looks at each other quizzically before deciding to figure out where exactly Jounouchi is.

In his bedroom Kaiba slams the door shut and turns the lock before wiping the back of his hand across his face and walking across his cold wood floor to his bed. He crawls into center of the bed and curls up into a small tight ball, he places his hands over his ears and attempts to empty himself of these thoughts. To void himself of the many afflictions his love brings, instead he only feels a familiar sickness seep into him. To way he had felt in the time he was parted from Jou.

"merw?"

A heavy weight finds its way onto the bed, he feels the mattress shift this way and that with each step the massive cat takes toward him. He unfurls his body when cognac steps close and begins softly pawing at his hands. Huffing slightly kaiba rolls onto his back and leaves his arms outstretched on wither side of him. Unsatisfied with his response cognac sits up and stares down at kaiba, who is trying desperately not feel anything. It is a difficult task with rich brown eyes staring down at him, eyes so familiar. He looks at this creature, this thing that Jounouchi had lovingly cared for, for most of his life and he muses out loud.

" where is your home... off in Brooklyn too?"

Cognacs chocolate face turns to look around the room, her brown eyes scanning the room as her long fluffy tail flicks lazily back and forth. Kaiba watches as she walks to edge of the bed and hops off to the floor outside his field of vision, Kaiba sighs feeling like he's been ditched.

" merr"

Cognac climbs back onto the bed struggling not to step on the thin red shirt she drags along with her. The very same shirt Jou had worn the previous day, Kaiba stares at the shirt blankly for a moment before closing his fingers around it. Soft and smooth, so thin Kaiba can always feel the too smooth skin of Jous scars with it on. He rolls onto side and stares at the cat that stares back at him. Before he can stop himself he finds tears burning a horrible trail down his face, soft fur presses against his cheek. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her close pressing his face against her soft chest.

Outside the door Jou stares at the sharp face of Soco who wont let him near. Closing his eyes against the muffled sound of his lover sobbing that way, Jou finds the sound twisting his heartstrings into painful knots. The door is guarded and he can't get close, he also can't change the way this building makes him feel. Rather than stand and sulk he turns away and decides to go off and figure out what Yugi and Honda are up to.

The sun fades, all its colorful dying breath bleeding across the flat stone that sits in an open stretch of untouched land outside city limits. A sharp flat black car hides in the shadows cast off a nearby mountain, the door opens allowing Helios to exit. He walks around to the trunk popping it open and looking down into the face of a heavyset blonde woman. The flesh around her mouth shredded from his many attempts to quiet her incessant screaming. Bits and pieces of muscle and skin sway back and forth as she tries to calm her breathing. She is completely unbound but no less a prisoner for it, her bright green eyes fixate on the face that isn't real. The one the monster hides inside.

He curls his lip at her in disgust, filthy humans so tender and fragile. She reeks of fear and piss and rotting blood. He arcs an eye brow at her, he's getting tired of waiting. Very careful not to move to quickly she pushes her heavily damaged body out of the trunk. Too slow to catch herself, she shrieks as he face hits the dirt and her wrist bends the wrong way, the action completed by a sickening crunch. Huffing and struggling to stop screaming, her face lifts up off the dirt her open wounds now caked with gravel and dust. He sneers, her teeth are now crooked and bleeding copiously, her lips too torn to stop or slow the blood from pouring out of her mouth.

She watches as the man walks briskly away to stand beside the flat stone, about fifteen feet away. She watches him glare directly at her. Struggling to lift herself up with unbroken arm she unwedges her right arm out from beneath her placing her forearm down in front of her, pointedly not looking at her mangled hand. Using her forearm as leverage she pulls herself forward, repeating the motion with the other arm. She cycles slowly between the broken and broken appendages crawling forward, her legs dragging behind her. Thin and undeveloped from a lifetime in a wheelchair.

Helios watches as the crippled woman crawls to the stone table even using her broken arm to pull her along. She would have grown up to be someone amazing, he muses to himself of the she could have led. She now stays huffing and panting his feet, he reaches down and grips her by her skull, lifting her up and tossing her onto the stone. She clenches her teeth shut to muffle her scream as she lands heavily on her broken wrist, she rolls onto her back and glares furiously at the fading light of consciousness.

After she ceases to move, Helios walks over and tears off the remaining portion of her shirt. He curls one hand extending his pointer finger and allowing one long grayish claw to extend. As he presses the point of his claw into her tender belly and drags it down, a smile cleaves its way across his haggard face. He relishes in the way it feels, the fresh blood pooling under his nail like the well in a quill. Lifts his claw and brings it back down as he carves the individual letters of a name, accompanied by a circle around her naval. Stepping back to admire his work, he plucks out a handkerchief from his coat pocket and cleans his nails before walking back to his car and driving off as he where heading home from the grocery store.

It watches the car kick up dust behind it as it disappears into the distance, back to the city, hours away. It walks along with its too long awkwardly bent legs to the stone where dinner lays with its chest steadily rising and falling. It looks at her stomach with eyes the color of curdled milk and takes in the name of its next meal before leaning down and taking a great bite out of her neck. Her eyes whip open in time for her scream to come out of her throat in bloody gurgles before here eyes roll to the back of her skull.

"mer"

Kaiba half wakes to an incessant licking at his nose, he places his wide hand over cognacs face and continues sleeping. He grunts, displeased with the way his pillow keeps wiggling, then nothing, an comfortable stillness. He grudgingly opens his eyes to find saucer wide brown eyes about an inch away from his face. Rather than be upset, he simply rolls over, choosing a much less fidgety pillow.

"mow"

"..."

"mow."

"nnnn..."

"mow"

Kaiba narrowly opens one eye and looks through his long lashes as he feels a steady batting at the back of his head. He closes his eyes again in attempt to ignore the motion, it almost works. Cognac now bats with both paws at his sensitive ears, shifting forward as he climbs over Kaibas shoulders and begins bating at his bangs.

"fine... I'm up..."

He grumbles as he shifts in place, the batting stops when pushes himself into a sitting position and looks at cognac, who jumps off the bed and wanders off the door. Kaiba yawns and stretches his arms over his head before sliding off his soft bed to open the door for cognac. He blinks in surprise when finds Soco sitting there guarding the door, cognac steps out. Smirking to himself, Kaiba shuts the door and makes to walk back to bed, only to be stopped by a loud drawn out meowing.

"...no."

He just stares at the door already feeling as he's been defeated.

"moooowwwwwww..."

"nooooo"

"myyoooowwwwwwwmyow myow myow"

"no?"

"mow mow mow mow mow"

The sound is now accompanied by the sound of a soft thupping at the door, large soft paws continuously swatting the door.

"please no?"

"myow meow meow mow mow mow myow myyyyoooooowwwwww."

Huffing and feeling irritated with his inability to ignore the noise he walks back to the bed and steps into his soft black slippers. Opening the door, he stares down at the cat that now walks in circles around his feet, rubbing up against his legs before trotting down the hall and pausing to stare at him.

"what? Are you hungry...can't you just harass one of the maids?"

"mow"

"..."

Kaiba sighs again, shutting the door behind as he moves to follow Cognac. Soft paws mirror his footsteps, glancing down he see's Soco walking along beside him. Around him he watches as the maids pause in their various tasks to gawk at their master following an oversized house cat. In the distance he can hear familiar voices talking and laughing, looking around he realizes he's being led outside. In the back of his head Kaiba wonders to himself what is it that he's forgetting? Something of some possible significance... possibly. Ahead of him cognac paws at the glass of the door that opens to his back yard. He crosses his arms over his chest and stares at cognac, who leans back on her hind legs and paws at the round doorknob.

" I don't feel like going outside."

Cognac just paws at the knob, her long tail swaying back and forth behind her. Rolling his eyes kaiba turns around to head back to his room.

"mow"

"damnit"

"myow myow myow-"

He quickly turns about face and marches up to the door, he grips the handle and shoves the door open irritatedly shutting it as cognac slinks out.

"myow."

"no"

"mow"

"no"

"myyyooooowwwww mow mow mow mow mow mow"

"nooooooo?"

"myow myow myow myow"

"dammit."

He huffs angrily as he steps outside, again cognac walks circles around him rubbing up against his legs. Keeping his arms crossed over his chest he watches cognac attempt to climb up his legs. Now pawing at his stomach, Cognac hints to be lifted up off the unpleasant feeling of the warm patio floor on her sensitive paws.

"no."

"...m-yow"

Inwardly kaiba lynches himself for caving so quickly as he reaches down and lifts the cat up into his arms. From off to his left a voice pops up.

"well she sure showed you who's boss!"

Mai laughs with a hand over her mouth from her place beside Ishizu who smiles warmly at him. She gives a small bow before adding

" ah the guest of honor is finally awake."

"..."

Looking around Kaiba sees Jou standing beside a grill poking a steak while Yugi hold up a serving platter. Off by the pool Bakura and Otogi snicker about something or another, Bakura turns to look at Kaiba and waves. Malik plucks a soda from a white ice chest handing it to Anzu who grins widely at Kaiba,he looks past her to a collapsible table covered with a mountain of presents. Looking around again he spots sugoroku Honda Malik and Rishid sitting at a table loaded down with chips dips and various other snacks.

Kaiba feels his face flush with warmth as he realizes he is standing outside in front of all these people wearing the clothes he fell asleep in, his hair is mussed and dammit now the cat is licking his hair.

"crap"

Otogi snorts as he walks over and scratches the cat behind its ears, then its chin.

"aww don't flip out you look cute."

Kaiba blinks shocked at first then he glares at Otogi with a scandalized expression on him. Just as he opens his mouth to give snappy retort Otogi jumps at the barking of a dog he hadn't noticed was there. Soco snarls at Otogi baring his unusually clean white teeth and letting a loud growl rumble deep in his throat.

"hey now don't you-"

Otogi points an accusing finger at Soco who snaps at him, he whips his hand away before it can be damaged. He just huffs and backs away as Kaiba snickers at him. Kaiba smiles down at the tall sleek dog, he shifts cognacs weight to one arm to reach down and pat Soco on his head.

"good boy."

Malik stand up and walks over from his place at the snack table, Rishid following him with his gaze. His smile is soft and frail, his posture is different that kaiba recalls, upright but more out of habit than a superiority complex. He holds out one hand to kaiba.

" congratulations"

"what for? What is all this about?"

Malik snickers slightly before answering.

" we heard that you are... with child... and Jounouchi's no less. I am very happy for you."

"you aren't going to ask how?"

"ah, well I don't really care what about you gives you that ability. I have my doubts that its the strangest thing I've come across."

"ah, well thank you... I suppose."

" you have a beautiful dog, it looks like it must be related to Anubis."

" That's Soco and he's actually Suyas dog."

Malik doesn't seem to notice the pet name Kaiba has for Jou as he reaches down and pats Socos head, gently scratching his snout. He looks up at Kaiba again, this time with a small smile sitting lopsided on his face.

"um, if you don't mind... may I hold your cat?"

"eh? I suppose, her name is Cognac."

Maliks smile spreads across his face, making his eyes glitter in an unusual way. Kaiba rolls his shoulder and cradles her in his arms like an infant. Malik smiles as he reaches out for Kaiba to set her over sized body into his arms.

" careful shes heavy."

Kaiba removes his arms from under her, letting her full weight fall on Malik, his eyes go wide and he huffs, surprised.

" oh my, she really is quite something."

Kaiba watches as he struggles to keep her lifted up, rather try to remain standing malik sits down on the floor crossing his legs so he can pet her.

"yea she's a brat."

He watches her hooded gaze fixate on him, while her face doesn't show it he can just about feel her smug little grin. Malik rubs her stomach and chin, amazed with the way her body spills over his legs and lays sprawled out on the floor.

" how did she get so big?"

"no clue, Jou just brought her here that way."

"she as well is jounouchis?"

"yes, but she likes to sleep on me... all the damn time."

Kaiba tries to flatten his hair with his hand, in the end deciding he ought to get dressed and wash the cat saliva out of his hair.

" I'll return shortly-"

"mow?"

" I'm going to get dressed."

Malik finally looks up at Kaiba, loving the way he seems to have some clue what the cat is saying. From his position on the floor he can see the small curve of Kaibas belly, though he doesn't mention it.

"mrrr..."

He walks toward the glass door, Malik watches Cognac roll over in his lap and stare out at Kaiba as he shuts the door behind him. She jumps from his lap and runs at the door pawing at it frantically.

"MOWMOWMOWMOWMOWMOW!"

Turning back Kaiba opens the door to let her back in, hissing at her as she sits in place while he holds the door open.

" I am going to change I will be right back."

He shuts the door again, before he can turn to leave, she starts up pawing and yowling at him from the glass.

"MOWMOWMOWMOWMOWMOWMOWMOWMOWM OWMOW!"

Kaiba shoves the door back open letting her slink through to follow at his heels while he wanders back to his room. From his place on the floor Malik watches, unable to stop the hysterical laugh he had struggled to hold in during the exchange.

A/n: i stayed up til 2 am last night, i spent a total of 6 hours typing. i am a slow typist, this time was spent finishing this chapter and moving on to the next, i hope my time was well spent i hope you appreciate how much i hate making you wait to see what happens next


	16. sakuya the invalid

Ch16

Sakuya the invalid

All of twenty minutes later Kaiba reemerges from the door tailed this time by Cognac Soco and Deardra, who carries a small tupperware container of steaks she cut from an unknown animal. He now wears a similar pair of black jeans a dark blue shirt and his usual boots. Deardra tuts at his clothing muttering as she does before locating Jou at the grill. Anzu rushes over to prattle on about how happy she is for him, he raises the flat of his palm at her and walks off to locate Jounouchi who appears to have been booted off his place at the grill.

" hey love, sleep good?"

" I'm still mad at you."

" can you pause that have fun for now and resume being mad at me later?"

Kaiba arcs an eyebrow at Jou, he resists the urge to knock his teeth in and sighs.

"maybe"

"oh good, cause this turned into a baby shower somehow."

" I hadn't noticed"

He turns to eye the pile of presents all with with baby themed wrapping paper, all except for a solid red box with a bright white ribbon. He then watches as cognac just about knocks Malik to the ground as she rubs against his legs.

" congratulations"

This time it is Ishizu who holds out her hand for them to shake.

Almost an hour later the group sits around three tables pushed together and covered with a red table cloth. Yugi has spent most the hour snapping pictures with a small camera he had crammed in his pocket before leaving his the guestroom he currently resides in. Ishizu Malik and Rishid all set down the juiciest portions of their meat for Cognac to have for herself, a small offering to them but it seems please her none the less. Currently the only one not eating is Kaiba who sits beside Jou, Jou who sits with his heavily loaded plate untouched while he waits for Deardra to bring Kaiba the food she had prepared just for him.

The others chat and eat occasionally directing questions in Jou and Kaibas direction. Jounouchi being the one to answer most of them since Kaiba is irritated with the wait, surrounded with the smell of meat and being able to eat none of it for some reason he is not satisfied with. A moment later Deardra walks over with a tray of of strangely scented meat and a small stone bowl filled with more of that syrupy red liquid.

He tries not to pay attention to the way he know most of them are watching him, he tries to only notice that Jou is now happily eating since Kaiba now has food on his plate. Deardra smiles and presses a kiss on the top of Kaibas head, he leers in no particular direction as she does this.

" eat it all, I made a lot of it so don't be afraid to ask for more."

he knows that what the soup is, he knows he likes that. The meat however... is new and interesting looking. His lips curls at it he turns to her without averting his gaze from his plate.

" what is that?"

"its good is what it is."

" what is it? What kind of meat is that?"

" you eat it first then I'll tell you."

"I don't like that arrangement."

" fine, don't eat it. Just makes sure your babies do. Its more for them anyway."

"..."

Across him mokuba tries not laugh at his older brother. Kaiba presses his fork into the meat, he cringes slightly when droplets of cherry red blood immediately surface and pool on the surface of it. He twists the fork, the meat falls apart easily splitting up and shredding wherever he drags the fork prongs. So tender, it must have been marinated for quite a while. Curiously he lifts a small piece to his mouth,as soon he sinks his teeth into the morsel it melts into something that tastes like pleasure feels.

Jou blinks and feels his face flush red at the expression that blooms across Kaibas face.

Satisfied with his reaction Deardra decides to remind him of his curiosity as he takes another bite.

" do you still want to know what it is"

Mai drops her fork when she sees the way his eyes flash yellow as he turns to look at his midwife. He flicks his tongue out to corner of his mouth catching a drop of its 'marinade'.

"mmhhmm"

"it is the flesh of the dragon."

Jou twists in place to look at her skeptically, in the back of his head he muses that he doesn't really know much of anything. But he would think to notice a giant flying fire breathing lizard if they where around.

"the hell are you on woman."

Its otogi that blurts it. She looks directly at him, he finds himself shrinking from the needle sharp feeling of her eyes on his.

"komodo dragon, the meat must sit in its venom for almost a week before it can be eaten."

otogi doesn't say anything, but beside him blinks, sure he's heard that name somewhere before. He sets his fork down into his pile of potato salad as he thinks aloud.

"aren't those endangered."

Anzu stares curiously and suddenly feeling rather apprehensive. Deardra watches as Kaibas plate empties, he turns to drink the soup- moving out of her way as she sets down another piece of meat. She runs her hand under his chin as he drinks in the soup, smiling at the deeply pleasured look that remains on his beautiful face.

" so are we..."

Mokuba doesn't seem to have noticed the silence that has fallen over the party, he leans forward watching the way his brother consumes the tender flesh.

"that smells really good, can I have some too?"

Deardra smiles at his curiosity.

"maybe, maybe when you're older."

"why maybe"

" this something only a silver blood can digest."

After about another hour or so later when most of them have decided to overlook the strange food and even stranger reaction to it, Anzu claps her hands together for attention. She had decided earlier that most party games associated with baby showers where something Kaiba would likely have nothing to do with, so she had decided to skip them all together.

" Okay! Yugi you have the camera?"

"yep!"

He picks it up out of his pocket and waves it for her to see.

" okay! Kaiba are you ready to open your presents?! Oh I'm so excited."

Kaiba merely smiles lazily, still feeling a mild buzz in the back of his head from the meat. Off to the other side of the table Otogi leans over to bakura and whispers.

" I think she just may have mistaken wine for 'venom'."

He snickers at his own joke, Bakura however muses aloud.

" we'll, doesn't the liver process alcohol? Its also what processes poisons and stuff, maybe his liver treats them about the same. Did you know in Mexico some people use rattle snakes to make alcohol? If the venom fermented in the week it was soaking with the meat... it may have turned into alcohol. Maybe..."

He then takes a sip from his soda can and looks over to Anzu, not realizing he's spoken quite as loud as he did. Deardra smiles at him from her place just a few feet away from jou and kaiba.

" well my my aren't you a smart cookie, close dear but not quite. There isn't any alcohol involved in this but his digestive fluids process the venom very quickly and produce a few things that stimulate the pleasure center of his brain, so its more like being high than being drunk."

Jou snorts as kaiba leans back against him, he grins as he runs his fingers through Kaibas hair.

" aww love, are you stoned?"

Kaiba responds with little more than pleased hum as Jou continues running his fingers through his hair. Anzu blinks nervously, she motions for Yugi to snap a picture of Kaiba in his inebriated state. The flash seems to catch his attention, Anzu repeats herself.

"so kaiba are you ready to open your presents?"

He smiles pleasantly surprised with her.

" but its not my birthday? I don't think."

Mokuba giggles at his brothers strange behavior.

"nii chan the presents are for the babies!"

Mai arcs a single perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"babieSS, a plural as in theres more than one?"

kaiba closes his eyes leaning his head back against jou, he holds one hand over the small curve of his stomach humming softly as his hand slides down and up again. His eyes flicker open a bright golden yellow color, a small satisfied smile on his face.

" plural as in five..."

"um... presents?"

"oh for who?"

Kaiba again has that curious smile as if has suddenly acquired the most amusing case of alzheimers.

"for you...your er... four babies?"

Jou puts his arms around kaiba and kisses his cheek earning a great wide grin that flashes all his pearly white teeth. Again that funny flash catches his attention.

"hey love"

"mmm?"

"lets go sit over there okay"

"okay"

Jou pulls kaiba up with him as he stands and walks over to the table laden with gifts, they sits down together and anzu quickly plucks a gift bag up and passes it over to kaiba. Honda and otogi both struggle to keep from laughing as they watch kaiba play with the multi-colored tissue paper that sticks out of the bag. After a moment of listening to the sound of the paper crinkling he dips his hand in and plucks out large cylinder of 'body butter'.

He looks up at jou insinuating his thoughts on the 'butter'.

"you gonna eat me?"

Otogi keeps his hand firmly over his mouth as his shoulders shake with his silent laughter. Jou places the container back in the bag and plucks out a card with curling black writing scrawled across the front.

" I really don't think that's what that's for."

Kaiba just smiles as he crinkles the tissue paper in his hands while Jou reads the card out loud.

"congratulations on your new baby, here's to hoping it doesn't... leave marks...?"

Jou squints at the card unable to make out the curly chicken scratch, yugi flushes bright red knowing his grandfathers writing anywhere. Anzu leans over and picks out the container without disturbing the ever so entertaining tissue paper.

"leave marks?"

She turns the container in hand as she reads the label.

" oh I get it, its shea butter! So you don't get those nasty stretch marks! That's really thoughtful..."

She hands it to jou who places it back in the bag with the tissue paper and puts it off to the side. Kaiba smiles and says to no on in particular.

"thank you..."

Anzu hands them one present after another until they come across a very large box that leans against the side of the table, this time Kaiba stands up and tears the paper of with a big smile, only because he likes the sound of tearing paper. Yugi snaps one picture after another until he looks through the lens and sees the smile fall from Kaibas face. The image on the box is that of a circular crib make red cherry wood, embellished and beautiful in pastel green nursery. No one seems to understand why it is that so suddenly tears threaten to stream down his face, mokuba jumps out of his seat and rushes over to hold his brothers hand.

" nii chan look, this is so pretty, its not at all like the ones in the old nursery, we can paint a new room, near the atrium! So they can look out the window and see all the birds won't that be nice nii chan. This time its different nii chan, see look how different."

He drags his finger along the frame of the crib in the picture.

" all new, see nii chan. Look here,"

He peels a card off the box, Mai fidgets in her seat unsure if shes done something wrong.

" here's a card nii chan, its from Mai here you read it okay."

Kaiba reaches out for the card blinking away the tears before they can fall. He slips one finger underneath the sealed edge tearing the envelope open, he likes that sound.

" hey you two, I guess you proved them right, whoever said 'opposites attract' that first time must have had you guys in mind. You guys are both very smart and strong in your own ways, I know in my heart that you two will be wonderful parents. I hope I get to be there with you and watch this kid grow up, all my love for you two. Mai kujaku..."

He looks at Mai and feels himself tint pink, without his permission a rather lopsided smile blooms on his face.

" thank you very much Mai."

Jou smiles worriedly as he reaches out and pulls Kaiba back into his lap, he buries his face in JouS neck for a moment before he accepts another gift. This time its just a card. He opens it and finds two sets of writing in a strange pattern down the page. One is aline of hieroglyphs accompanied with what appears to be a translation of each line, on a separate sheet of paper is a series of hieroglyphs and no translation.

" mine cousin I am so proud that you have found love. I am as well proud of your choice in partners, he will serve you and your children well, I hope that with the time you two will spend together you will take the time to learn from him. For despite what you may think he has much to offer you, and you have so much to learn from him. I know that you two see things in a different light on most occasions, you both see bits and pieces of mismatched images. I know that if you two stand together your will be able to put these bits together and see the bigger picture that you have created together. I know that you will, I have much faith in the both of you. I have written and enclosed something that has been given so rarely it has yet to surface in your history books. On the following page I have given you the Pharohs blessing. For so long as you two stand together no spirit may harm you, for they would risk the Pharohs curse."

"FACK YOU!"

This time its bakuras shadow self that stands bolt upright and glares daggers at yugi who smiles nervously at bakura's yami. Malik reaches over placing his hand on bakuras arm, pulling him back to his seat. Bakura yanks his arms away from malik looking at him furiously.

" you can't be okay with this!?"

Malik looks at bakura bored.

" why do I give a crap what spirits have to do. It doesn't affect me."

" the fuck do you mean it doesn't affect you!"

" despite how I may have acted in the past I am not in fact a spirit I do not posses a ' shadow self' that may have been trapped inside the millennium rod. I'm a certified schizophrenic."

" but you-"

" the shadow magic was cause I'm not stupid, I was raised with the knowledge of the millennium items. I have to behave now or they'll put me back on Ritalin."

Malik points with his thumb in the direction of Ishizu and Rishid, Ishizu just shrugs at Bakuras bewildered expression.

"but"

" oh shut up you weren't gonna do anything anyway."

Bakura seats himself back down and takes his place back inside the millennium ring, Bakura looks around curiously.

"sorry for whatever he did"

"nn.."

Malik waves him off. Anzu smiles awkwardly trying to ignore that whole conversation as she looks to the table.

"oh look only one left!"

This time Kaibas smile isn't quite as loopy as it had been, the high is beginning to fade. Anzu hands him the present, the red square box with its white ribbon, he balances the box on one open palm and plucks the ribbon off with the other hand. His expression hardens when he reaches in and pulls out and a handful of long blonde hair, quickly he drops it on the ground. He shakes his hand to lets the last strand fall, turning the box he glares in. Jou blinks as he looks in not seeing anything else, kaiba snarls and drops the box to the floor furious.

'clink'

An embellished gold ring with a large red ruby bounces out of the box rolling toward his foot and tipping over with a soft 'clink'. He stares down at it in shock, reaching over he pinches it between his fingers examining it closely. Jous moves and picks up the box, he turns it upside down and slaps the bottom of it, a red envelop made to match the bottom of the box falls loose and hits the ground, crumpling one of its corners.

"the fuck.."

Kaibas hand snaps out to grab it, he rips it open too hastily and a pile of glossy print photos pour out, scattering across the floor. He looks down at the pictures, then notices the neatly folded white paper jutting from the envelope. A single line is typed across the page.

'will you fail him as you failed her?'

"love... who is this?"

Jou crouches down and looks at the pictures of a blonde woman being hung with rusted meet hooks crammed beneath the layers of her skin, pushed too deep to miss muscle but not deep enough to keep her up. Her face is contorted and twisted with pain, another image of her chained to a wall, thick rivulets of coagulated blood pouring down her wizened thighs. The images go on and on until Malik picks up a single image of her angry face with a deep purple bruise under her eye and her broken lip twisted into a fierce scowl. Across the page in permanent black marker are the words:

" she swore you would save her."

Before anyone can move a closed fist smashes into Maliks face sending him flying across the cement of the patio, he rolls onto his back with his hands over his face screaming in pain. Kaiba stands tall screaming at Malik who can't hear him.

"LIAR! SHE WAS DEAD WHEN THEY WHERE BORN DAMMIT!"

With that he turns and bolts back inside yanking the door open so hard he knocks it off one of its hinges and lets it hangs open. Soco bolts after him, deardra looks down at the floor in horror at the images splayed across it. Jou turns when he hears the sound of rapidly clicking heels, asuka rushes out to glare at the lot of them.

" what happ-"

She spots the pile of dead hair on the floor, walking closer he crouches down and stares at the photos.

"Sakuya?"

Quickly she falls to her knees and begins scrambling to pick up the pictures. Another one of the maids rushes out and see her in panic on the floor. This attempts to assist, only for Asuka to rip the photos from her hands.

"NO!"

She glances back and sees Ishizu and Rishid picking up Malik.

"we have an injured guest- fetch a first aid kit!"

"yes ma'am"

Jounouchi finds himself feeling distanced from the scene, he picks up the small ring made for a very delicate hand. Mai fills a napkin with ice and rushes to Malik, she hands the makeshift ice pack to ishizu who shouts at jou.

"what the hell is happening?!"

"... its a wedding ring..."

Malik peers through his tear filled eyes at Jou, while his sister hold the ice pack over his nose and eye.

" was married?"

Asuka stares at Jou in horror of his revelation, she shakes her head at him while tears of panic burn her face.

" the master, he loves you he really does-"

"..."

He stands up and follows kaibas trail, running down the hall almost barreling into the maid that runs with a first aid kit in her hands. He glances down one hall then another, all nearly unlit as usual. The maze seems to go on forever, until he decides to just check kaibas room. He rushes down the hall that leads to it pausing when he nears it, again that horrible sobbing sound that twists up his heart. This time however it does not come from the bedroom, the sound carries from somewhere to the right. He looks down that hall and finds a door open, with soft white light pouring out.

Jou walks slowly over, not sure he really wants to look. He walks in anyway. The walls are lilac colored with butterflies painted across the ceiling two cribs dark oak slay shaped cribs sit beside each other. Each crib is adorned with flower printed cushioned bumpers soft plush teddy bears and neatly folded violet blue blankets over each crib hangs a mobile made to look like swimming koi fish. Looking more closely he can see names engraved on each one. On the right in elegant cursive writing is the name ' Ayako' on the left in matching writing is the name 'natsumi'.

To the left of the cribs is a matching wooden changing table, across the room is book case laden with Dr. Seuss the classic tales of Winnie the pooh and various picture books. Beside the book case is an elegant rocking chair, in the chair sits Kaiba with a green book unopened in his lap. A dry trail of tears stains his face, his hands sit limp on the arms of the chair. Jounouchi crouches down next to him, his previous anger having quickly dissipated at the sight of both the room and the shell that sits in it.

" Love... you need to tell me what happened."


	17. a decision is made

Ch 17

when we first met

Kaiba purses his lips tightly shut and shakes his head, no. no no no.

"Love please tell me, I need to know. I need to know what happened."

Jou reaches out and holds out his open hand, the glittering gold ring sitting in his palm. Kaiba grimaces at the sight of it, he curls his hands around the book in his lap. He opens it and flips to a page he could find with his eyes closed, he picks up the book and holds it out for Jou. Taking the tome in hand Jou realizes he's looking at a scrap book, placed into a paper frame is a picture of a young woman with bright green eyes curly goldenrod hair with platinum highlights. She has a charming smile with rose tinted lips, a soft round face and small gold earrings. In thin curling writing that tilts a bit to the right are the words

'this is me, your mommy. I bet I don't look like this anymore. I am 15 in this picture.'

Jou flips the page to find an image of kaiba wearing a slightly embarrassed smile sitting in another paper frame. In the same curling writing that belongs to 'mommy' are the words.

'this is your daddy, look how young he is. He's gorgeous at 16 years old, he can't wait to meet you girls.'

The next page is a picture of a cement chess table at the park, beside which sits the blonde woman... in a wheelchair. Behind her stands kaiba smiling down at her. Underneath the paper frame again it reads.

' this is where we first met, I was at the park alone that day. He was there with his cute little brother, your uncle mokuba. Since I was by myself he offered to play me at chess, we had so much fun he asked me to dinner.'

The next page is an image of her in blue ball gown and the two of them at a ball. The one after that is her with mokuba sitting in her lap. A few pages later he finds a picture of her blushing as she shows her hand to the camera, a golden ruby ring glittering on her finger. The next page is one of a small dinner party after that is a court appointed wedding certificate. Despite his urge throw the book out the window Jou flips the page finding a few pages of their short honey moon. After that are images of her in various stages of pregnancy, on another page is the ultra sound. He flips the page again, finding it blank, so flips to the next one. he finds only a single line in handwriting that does not belong to her.

' I'm so sorry, I promise to do my best.'

After that he finds a paper folded and pressed between the pages. He plucks it out and unfolds a death certificate with the name Sakuya kaiba. Below that is cause of death, internal hemorrhaging and heart failure. Set down in the next page are two birth certificates.

Natsuki kaiba born at 11:15 pm Ayako kaiba born at 11:18 pm

He flips the page again and finds a picture of two very small infants laying in their plastic hospital cribs. Their skin is ghostly white and their oddly wide eyes a luminous shade of blue. Jou stares at them and feels a crushing weight of guilt wash over him. The next page is the pair at home, Mokuba sits in the rocking chair wearing a great wide smile holding one of them while the other sleeps in Kaibas arms. The page after that is Kaiba asleep in his bed, his long body curled around the two, a pillow blocking off any way they might roll to the edge of the bed. They sleep wrapped tight and snug, staying close to Kaibas body. The page after that is blank and the one after that, placed onto the following page are two certificates, Jou doesn't want to read. He glances at the papers.

One reads sudden infant death syndrome, the following one reads lung failure. Looking at the date, Jou realizes that it happened three weeks before he first met Kaiba.

"love, I'm so sorry...I don't know what to say."

Jou sets the book and the ring onto the shelf before getting on his knees on front of Kaiba, who looks at him pointedly at the floor

"are you mad."

"what? No never."

He wraps his arms around kaiba holding him close as he blinks back tears.

"niii chaaannnn"

They both turn at the sound of Mokubas voice in the distance. Kaiba quickly begins wiping his face clean and pulls Jou to his feet as he stands up. They both walk out of the room with all its muted colors and walk to find Mokuba. They round the corner and find mokuba walking up the stairs looking all over the place as he does.

" niii chaa- hey! There you are."

" ah, yes. Did you need something Mokuba?"

" er I'm going with Ishizu and Rishid to take Malik to the hospital, I thought since you're the one that hit him we should pay his hospital bill."

"ah yes of course...send him my apologies as well."

He walks with Mokuba back to the stairs to find Rishid carrying Malik out the door. Mokuba follows Ishizu out the door and into the waiting car.


	18. whispers by the window

Ch 18

whispers by the window

Deardra looks to the pile of gifts the maids and butler carry inside, she finds herself picking up the gifts from bakura. One book that reads ' what to expect when your expecting', the following reads 'what to expect in the first six months'. She tuts at it, it was meant for human mothers, a nice gesture but it was ill informed. She flips through the books and decides to correct them before allowing the contents to find their way to her precious charge. She tucks the books under her arm and strolls off to the kitchen to find a way to calm that very important charges nerves.

Atem and Bakuras yami walk in with Mai trailing behind them, she looks horrified and so morosely confused. She looks over to the couple that watches Malik as he is driven off to the hospital.

" I really shouldn't have punched him."

"no you shouldn't have, but no one is blaming you for your reaction."

It is Atem that looks to the rather guilt laden man who currently leans against Jou. Kaiba turns and looks at the trio, more at the cat on their heels. Cognac strolls over and rubs herself against kaibas leg before deciding to sit down beside him.

"Love, you need to rest, you should go to bed."

Just as kaiba makes to protest Deardra walks in holding a small tray with a steaming cup of tea and shuffles toward.

"don't you start up now. After all this mess you need to lay down and relax for a while, you can pick up tomorrow and figure out what to do next."

She pushes the cup into his hands and begins herding him off to his bedroom while he argues with her all the way. Jou watches as Kaiba tries to argue and not spill his tea as Deardra blocks off any way to turn back. Mai looks at Jou who suddenly wears a look of fierce determination. Mai blinks away her discomfort with the situation and asks.

"what happened and what are we doing about it."

"Helio's is lying through his teeth, he started this crap before we even met Kaiba. He may not have shouted war yet but threw the first hit two years ago."

" that's quite an accusation Jounouchi, what proof have you to go with that?"

Atem awaits a response and Bakura is waiting to find the name of his upcoming target.

" kaiba has been with a human before, he married her. But right after the honey moon he brought her back home pregnant. When they where born I guess the doctors told him she died giving birth."

"why would he believe that wouldn't he need to have seen her body?"

" all they had to do was dope her up til she couldn't move and let him see her like that."

Bakura glares out the window feeling his temper flare up.

"what about the baby."

" twins. He got to bring them home, but they died in the night."

"how do you know?"

"I saw their birth certificates, I even saw pictures of them. You wouldn't believe it, they had skin so light, just like the sheets after you wash em with bleach you know. They had his eyes, they where so small and I couldn't believe it, what big blue eyes."

Atem thinks about it for a moment.

" white skin and blue eyes."

" how long did they live."

" from the dates on the certificates, it looked like about a month. The date on the last one was three weeks before we met him. I guess that's why he wasn't real friendly."

Bakura glares sharply at the window with an unfortunate thought forming in his head.

" are their names Ayako and Natsumi."

Jou Atem and Mai all stare at Bakura worriedly.

"yes..."

Mai looks out the window, feeling very much as if she should have been here sooner. She had always been rather aloof with them when they weren't dueling. Friends aren't supposed to be that way, to no one but herself she promises that she will be a better friend from here on out.

" I'm going to guess there's a huge chunk of this story I'm missing."

Jou blinks suddenly realizing that has no clue who Helios is, or the fact that Kaiba isn't human. There isn't really a reason she needs to be made aware, but he can read it on her face that she wont stand down.

"Yea...fill you in later, Bakura, how do you know their names?"

" they hide in the garden..."

"hide?"

"yes, they say its safe there."

"from what?"

Bakura just glares out the window, trying to find a way to explain the thing he's seen. The animal without a name. Atem crosses his arms over his chest before deciding to give his thoughts on what it might have been.

" when I was Pharoh, I remember the way that we revered cats, I remember being told a story of the people that descend from them. I was told a story, that if you do these people wrong, they can steal your years from you, give them to another or keep them to them selves. There was a even a tale that they could steal the breath of children and put it in a bottle. It however takes a blackened heart and hollow soul to steal the life of children. The ones who do this are said to live apart from their people, as if they where lepers. I think perhaps it was one of these things that came and took his children from him."

Bakura works his jaw glaring into nothingness. Jous brow furrows together in thought.

" If its apart from the others, why would it take his babies? Why would it do that."

"just feed it, carve a name on the sacrifice and it will eat that person too. No one cares to know where they reside, only their leader would need to have that information."

" so it was Helios..."

"you lot whisper of conspiracy, you should be careful of whom you speak near."

It is Deardra that walks slowly down the stairs eying them critically, she pauses on the final step wondering what to say to them.

"can you say that we are wrong?"

"no. my charge has taken responsibility for majority of our clan. He is very well received to our people, even if he is unnamed. My heart goes out to him for his loss, so I will see to it that each and every child he carries will live.-"

" why do you keep saying that as if you expect them all to die."

Jou looks at her worriedly.

" we have large litters, but most of the time only two or three live. Usually the first time around none survive. Since he has never carried before, the risk of them all becoming still births is about seventy eight percent."

The group at large just stares at her horrified. Mai closes her eyes, and placing a hand over her heart.

" oh no, what will he do if he loses this too?!"

She imagines the pain of losing just one child, then tries to imagine how kaiba might feel at the end of it all. With a short huff she begins wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.

" Seventy eight percent is if all is optimal and the environment is stress free. These children are half human, I don't know how that will affect them, it could increase or massively decrease their chances. Whatever is going on here must stop soon, if he continues to worry and stress himself in this way it will have a great effect on the children. He may have to leave this place in order to find a more suitable place to bear these children."

" what if he refuses to leave."

She merely purses her lips tightly shut, she takes a deep breath before turning to leave them alone.

" I can only do so much."

Mai looks to Jou worriedly. Atem looks to her knowing how badly she wants to help, but there is little she is capable of doing for now.

" I think you had better go, there is no reason to bring you into this just yet."

She smirks as he use used the word 'yet' instead of leaving at a dead end. Placing a hand on Jous shoulder, she smiles at him.

" you have my number, call me if there's anything I can do."

Jou finds himself feeling just a bit better, as if he's got one more soldier behind him. He nods at her, she just flips her hair over her shoulder before trotting out the front door. Atem sighs and rubs his temples.

" Its becoming late, you had better go to bed I have my doubts of how well he sleeps without you near by. Bakura will stay here as well, I believe we may need him soon."

" you're probably right."

Jou opens the door to find Kaiba rolling from one side to the other, in an attempt to put himself to sleep. He huffs and sits up to look at Jou.

"well?"

"well what?"

"what did you stay down there talking about, you're planning something with those idiots aren't you?"

Jou walks over and peels his shirt of pitching it off to the side not really caring where it lands. He picks up a soft pair of pajama pants he had been wearing the previous night and begins to unbuckle his jeans.

" bakuras mad, he's going to stay here and help guard the place."

"what else?"

"Deardra said, it that you're under too much stress, that we should probably leave."

" what if I decide to stay."

"... go to sleep okay."

Kaiba blinks confused and mildly irritated at Jous response to the question.

" did you even ask her?"

"yes."

"what did she say?"

" she... said that if the situation was better, and stress free... there would only be an eighty seven percent chance that... it would bee still born."

" what... we could lose one?"

"no."

"wait what?"

" go to sleep, don't freak out."

Kaiba watches as Jou glares pointed away from him, watches as he flexes his jaw. He's trying so hard not to be mad.

" If we stay here you have to calm down."

Jou climbs into bed and pulls kaiba down with him.

A/n: i know its short but im trying to keep this up and not be in my sister in laws line of sight. this blows. any who any thoughts on whats going on so far?


	19. the path

Ch 19

The path

A soft tapping sound on the window draws Jou from his sleep for just a moment, when he opens his eyes his vision is blurry and he find whatever it is can't possibly be worth lifting the body that sleeps on his shoulder. So he closes his eyes and returns to sleep, his dreams plagued by the sound of a bell ringing in the distance a sound that is some how so familiar. He feels a horrible chill sliding down his spine like molasses, in the dream he knows where he is, but the part of him that is aware only sees a wood paneled floor covered with broken glass. Strewn across the scene is a heavy handed spattering of blood, there off the side slumped against the wall as if she had been so violently thrown is the naked body of his mother. Most of her blurred and faded, all except her tightly clenched fist, small calloused fingers wrapped around a crystal bell.

Very suddenly the sound of its silence blares in his head and he finds himself throwing himself out of bed, kaiba flinging himself upright. They wake to sound of one of the maids shrieking bloody murder. Jounouchi jumps out of bed and rushes down the stairs followed by Kaiba, whose body shifts and changes with every step until at the base of the stairs he is his customary self. The pair finds themselves running alongside Atem and Bakura out the front door where they find a maid sitting sprawled on the floor, her glassy eyes pouring a torrent of tears. A few feet in front of her they find a black spear stabbed into the ground, there at the top of it is the head of Moonlace. Her human face staring at them with wide horror stricken eyes, her mouth locked in a dead scream,from the stump of her neck hang bits and pieces of vertebrae along with long red pieces of sinew and muscle.

Kaiba places his hands over his mouth as he turns his back to the scene he finds Mokuba there in the doorway gawking with his mouth tightly shut and his eyes wide as possible. Quickly Kaiba moves to snatch him up and away from it, as soon as he pull him out of sight Mokuba leans over and spills the remainder of his dinner across the tile floor.

Bakura looks at the maid, wondering if any one called the police yet. He looks at Atem who radiates fury in waves.

" we have to hide it."

Atem looks at him brow furrowed in a sharp glare, his fists are clenched at his sides, the muscle of his forearms convulsing with his effort to still himself. Jou stares back at her with one hand over his mouth, he doesn't want to think that she is gone already. He doesn't want her to be lost to them, especially now.

" He's right, if the police see this... they wont let up on Kaiba."

Bakura turns to go back inside, he is gone for a only a moment before he returns with a small black backpack over his shoulder and a small kitchen trash bag in the other. He walks very close to her before pursing his lips in slight shame. He swipes one hand over her face closing her eyes and shutting her mouth before looking at her and whispering.

" forgive me"

With that he shoves the bag over her head and peeling it off the wooden shaft with a sickening squelching noise. Atem closes his eyes not wanting to see her this way, Bakura ties a knot in the bag before quickly shoving it into the back pack and bolting through to the left, over the estate wall and into the oblivion past it. Jou walks up snatching the spear out of the floor, he snaps it twice over his knee before taking it inside to the nearest fireplace and throwing it into the still strong flames.

Atem crouches down in front of her looking into her distraught eyes before reaching out and slamming his palm against her forehead. She opens her mouth to scream but instead falls backward convulsing violently against the cement of the driveway as her memory of the scene is pulled from her mind. Far more painful than one might assume. Jou watches the fire eat up the old mostly dry wood, but the smell of burning blood wafts over the area. He hears a faint shuffling noise before he glances over his shoulder and finds Deardra the midwife walking over with two hands full of dried herbs. The sage he recognizes, he can guess one is shriveled up ginger, he recognizes a few bones and then a handful of a long wine red plant.

The smoke that permeates the air quickly over powers the smell of death and even the strong smell of vomit that a maid in the back of the room wipes off the tile. Deardra huffs at the fire place before walking out of the room off to the kitchen. He doesn't know what to do from here, he walks up the stairs following the sound of hysterical sobbing. He follows the sound down an unusual hallway, this one is a creamy beige color, it is well lit and adorned with portraits of the brothers together. Jou walks through an open door and finds Mokuba curled up in a tight ball sobbing into kaibas chest. Kaiba looks up at jou as he grips his brother closely. He looks bewildered and lost, completely unsure of what to do. Jou hates himself right now, he reaches out closing his hand around mokubas shoulder and yanks him away from Kaiba. Unsure of what to do or say, Kaiba simply hopes that jou knows how to handle whatever is happening.

Jounouchi grips mokuba tightly by both shoulders and stares directly into his tear fogged eyes.

"Mokuba"

Mokuba just swallows a mouthful of air before he continues sobbing.

"MOKUBA!"

He squeaks, taking quick shallow breathes in an attempt to silence himself. Jous fingers grip him too tight, mokuba however doesn't seem to feel it.

" mokuba I need you to calm down and listen, we need your help okay."

He nods vigorously, Jou shifts and grips the side of Mokubas face, stilling his movement. Mokuba finds himself gripping Jous wrists and trying to match his steady calm breathing. After a moment jou speaks in almost a whisper.

"you understand how bad this is? What Helios is doing?"

With his head held firm in Jous surprisingly strong grip, he isn't able to nod, he huffs at jou in his cracking voice.

"ye- yehs."

"what is he doing."

mokuba clenches his eyes shut, tightening his grip on Jou.

" kill the babies."

Jou nods.

" if the police come, they'll trap us here, we can't have that. Can we."

"no."

" we _need_ you mokuba to do this for us. Can you do this?"

" yes."

" never forget what he did, but tell no one. If some one asks about it, you don't know anything alright."

" ye- yes."

"so why are you crying Mokuba."

Mokuba blinks rapidly, his eyes never disconnecting from their lock on Jounouchis own.

" bad dreams."

Kaiba stares at Jou, his gaze flits to mokuba who is now sitting upright, eyes closed, fists clenched in the sheets as he calms himself counting backwards mentally. A scratching at the shut door catches their attention, cognac paws at the long curled handle from the other side of the door. It opens with a soft click, they watch cognac slink in with a piece of white paper in her teeth. Kaiba reaches over to her, he places her in his lap before plucking the paper from her mouth. He turns it over in his palm noting the strange folds in it, like it was wedged in something. He unfolds it quickly to find only one word scribbled hastily across the center.

_Run_

he closes his hand around the note and looks at Jou, his glare wavering slightly.

"no, I won't. Not now."

Jou reaches out and takes the note from his closed fist, he glances at it before placing his hands over his face and struggling not break out, screaming like he wants to.

" we can't stay."

" I won't be chased out of my house! I am NOT GOING TO JUST LET THIS BASTARD DO WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK HE WANTS!"

By now kaiba has stood up, his fists clenched at his sides as he glares down at jou.

" you. Can't just make that decision."

Jou opens his eyes to find kaiba with a very familiar glare on his face. Sighing heavily it dawns on him, he wished he could just be mad. But he can't.

" the hell I can't! You wont make me do shit-this may not be home to you, you may never call it home. But its mine! AND I WONT LEAVE!"

" I get it love."

"don't you start that crap, you can't just call me cute names and expect me to just-"

"you miss them."

kaibas mouth snaps shut, he takes a step back.

" love."

Jou reaches out and grips kaibas loosened fist, pulling him close. This time kaiba doesn't fight him.

" I know you miss them and it hurts so much-."

Kaiba refuses to look at Jou while he speaks, his blue eyes blinking rapidly, his lips pursed into a thin line.

" they're gone, no matter what you do. No matter how much you hold onto, you can keep that nursery there forever but they wont come back."

" shut up"

" you know their gone, you can't save them. I know you're mad about all of this, but is revenge on him really worth losing them?"

Jou closes his arms around Kaibas waist, his hands settling on his stomach. Kaiba huffs angrily, he wants to scream and yell but he doesn't have anything left to defend himself with. No, nothing is worth that risk.

From the doorway Mokuba watches as his brother grimaces from his place in Jous lap, suddenly he breaks down, sobbing in a way Mokuba didn't think was possible. Two years of mourning and finally, in a torrent of fresh hurt and guilt he finds that his brother is letting go. Letting go of what he never really had. Mokuba turns away from them stalking off down the hallway into one of the many guest rooms. He picks up the phone dialing the hospitals number.

"yes, what room is Malik Ishtar in?"

Deardra walks out of the kitchen feeling a sense of helplessness wash over her like she's never known. She carries a tray of hot tea, eggs a strange flat bread and small bowl of blood stew. Ahead of her she finds Jou and Kaiba entering their bedroom without having noticed her presence. She pauses at the door, knocking gently before simply pushing it open. The pair looks at her from their place standing between the bed and the walk in closet.

"what a busy morning. Hmm."

She moves briskly across the floor, setting the tray down on the bedside table and dragging kaiba over to sit on the bed.

"you must eat."

She places the tray on kaibas lap, not allowing him to argue. Looking off to the right, she finds Jou staring into the closet, he yanks things off hangers and tossing them to the foot of the bed.

" Jounouchi."

He pauses in place to look at deardra who seems pale and nervous.

"yea?"

"follow me."

Kaiba watches nervously as jou does as told, closing the door behind him as he walks off. In the hallway jou watches her, he wonders if she always walks this fast or if its just because she's scared.

" I know you two wanted a midwife who would be willing to go with you."

"ah, I see."

" I had intended to follow you if you should be forced to leave, bu it would appear as though that is no longer possible."

"..."

Jou stays quiet with his hands tucked in his pajama pockets as he follow her to where he knows the kitchen is.

"you see if they search for you, it is much easier to follow a larger group you see. It is best for you two to go on your own."

he watches her closely, she means it. She wants to go with them.

" you see as midwives of our tribe get older, it becomes much easier to track us. That's what we are for you see, to be available whenever we may be needed. So I must not go with you, but that does not mean I cannot assist you."

she pushes open the swinging door that leads to the expanse of executive kitchen, it smells of blood and fire, bones and warm broth. She walks across the clean white floor to a drawer that used to hold various lids that the cooks could never locate when they needed. She plucks a few notebooks from it along with the two books that Bakura had purchased as a baby shower gift. They now look heavily worn in, post it notes sticking out of pages with tiny black letters scribbled across.

" here, this is what I can offer you. You. Because now you are going to be his caretaker, you understand."

Jou looks at the books she presses into his hands.

" this is very important. When he goes into labor, you must NOT take him to a hospital. You must do this, the infants will be born in their true faces, they may change into a human form within a week. If they do not, you must keep them out of sight. Whatever shape they take at the end of the week is the way they will stay until their third birthday."

Jou looks at her in shock.

" we'll have to stay gone for... four years?!"

" yes, that is when they will begin learning to change their shape."

He just stares at her stunned, he hadn't though they would be gone so long, he hadn't really thought about that at all.

" you must go back now, pack loose fitting clothing for him, lots of blankets. I will pack enough food for him to last for the remainder of his term."

" but he's barely gonna be two months, how will you fit seven months-"

" five months, his pregnancy will be shorter than humans. And don't question me, just pack up."

Jou finds himself getting shoved out of the kitchen, confused and nervous he ambles up the stairs and back into the bedroom where Kaiba sits still sipping at his soup. Jou plops the pile of books and notebooks down in front of him before returning to the closet. He walks back out with a rather bulky black suitcase, he stares at kaiba for just a moment.

" what?"

"do you have anything that isn't skin tight?"

" why would I want to wear something like that?"

Jou sighs tossing the case back in the closet he walks around the bed and pluck his duffel bag out from under the bed. He begins pulling his jeans from the drawer, tightly rolling them and shoving them back in the bag.

" I guess we'll have to go shopping when we pass through town."

" pass through? Where the hell are we going?"

Jou looks at Kaiba with a huge grin spilling across his face, Kaiba blinks feeling rather apprehensive.

" I think you'll really like it. I haven't been there since I was a kid."

The day passes in a flurry of whispered plans small nervous arguments and phone calls. At midnight that night Jou carries one of two large black storm trunks over to a black SUV parked in front of the door. He pops open the back door and shoves them in the back seat.

" shouldn't those go in the trunk?"

Kaiba blinks at jou, his arms full of cat.

"nope."

"..."

He watches as Jou crouches down behind the vehicle, fiddling with the screws that hold down the license plate. He wants to ask what the hell he's doing back there, but finds that so far Jou seems to have this plan mapped out, he's assuming this is part of it. Malik exits the front door and stands beside kaiba.

" shouldn't those go in the trunk?"

"nope."

Malik scratches cognacs head for a moment before looking to kaiba.

" here."

Kaiba looks over cognacs head to see that malik is extending his hand, closed and facing downward. He shifts most of her off to one arm, a difficult task given that shes about the same as a sack of dark matter. He reaches out and quickly takes the proffered gift before he drops the cat. Looking in his hand, he finds a small gold chain with a charm that looks like an anteaters head.

" uhhm. Thank you?"

Malik chuckles.

" it is a charm, the blessing of the god seth."

"ah yes... which one is that?"

"he is the god of chaos storms, winds, god of the desert and of all foreign lands."

" oh, thank you."

" he will protect you while you are gone away from your home. While you are away my sister and I will see to it that no harm will come here, it will be safe when you return. Good fortune on you,be safe my friend."

He places a hand on kaibas shoulder briefly before walking back inside. As jou continues fiddling here and there, mokuba decides to come out. He looks at his brother with a eyes full of tears just barely held in check.

" nii chan, don't worry I'll make sure no one knows you've left. I'll take care of everything so don't worry okay. Relax and bring me back my nephews, all of them okay."

Kaiba places cognac on the floor, he leans down and wraps his arms around mokuba, he doesn't want to drag it out. It isn't fair that he can't follow with them, they've never parted since they where taken to the orphanage.

"I know you'll be great."

He watches as mokuba huffs and runs back inside, glancing down he realizes cognac has wandered away... to the roof of the car.

" Asuka."

She steps out from her place holding the door open to stand in front of kaiba.

"yes sir."

" by the time I get back I want that nursery repainted, get it ready alright."

She smiles at him, her chest swelling with pride.

" as you wish sir."

Jou seems to have finished with his small last minute checks on the various parts of the car.

" oi we gotta go!"

Kaiba walks off to the car, plucking cognac off the roof before settling in the leather seat. Atem now stands in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

" Jounouchi."

he pauses as he steps into the car to look back at the pharoh.

"yea?"

"see you soon my friend."

Jou grins before climbing in and slamming the door, atem watches as jou revs the engine and drives away in the cover of night.


	20. ch 20 the path

Ch 20

Life as you know it

Kaiba watches his life speed past him through the windows, in the rear view mirror his house shrinks into the distance. A few yards behind them he notices a car driving with its headlights off, they round a corner, a moment later it reappears behind them. Jou glances up the mirror smirking to himself, he switches gears speeding up. He flicks off his own head lights as they fly through a tunnel, Kaibas eyes grow wide as he recalls the fact that his ability to see in the dark is not a shared one. He wonders if Jou can see the fork in the path, he finds his breath lodged in his throat as Jou skirts left and rolls to a halt off to the side. Jounouchi looks to Kaiba motioning for him to get out before quickly exiting the vehicle himself.

A door clicks open behind them, Kaiba whips around to see Mai walking over holding a license plate and a screw driver. A midnight blue dodge charger sits behind them, engine humming with the trunk popped open. Jou quickly carries one storm trunk over to the vehicle, placing it as far into the trunk space as possible before tossing the second one in behind it. Mai and Jou walk passed each other one more time exchanging their respective keys with a toss before Kaiba sets down in the passenger seat, still holding Cognac. Mai slams the SUV door shut and drives off like the devil where on her tail, Kaiba notes the pink license plate with a pair of kissing lips printed on them. They stay there parked in the corner, Jou with his hands on the wheel, smirking as they watch the following car whiz by them.

It darts off into the darkness clueless of the switch, a moment later Jou smiles and flicks on the headlights as he rolls out of the tunnel. Kaiba stares at him curiously.

" suya, have you done this before?"

There it is, that wide dopey smile as if nothing wrong.

" I gotta say, this situation is kinda new to me."

"Suya, you know what I mean."

The smile fades just s bit.

"no, I've never run before. I always dive in head first, I don't think about if I'll win or not. That's usually cause I only fight for me, so I don't really care if I win or die. You know? I'm not stupid, I just... usually I don't care."

Jou takes the car out of park and drives down the tunnel, when they emerge a moment later, he only other vehicle they notice is one abandoned on the side of the road. They drive along leaving it behind them, along with the slowly rising sun. As the hours pass, Kaiba watches as cities come fewer and farther between, he wonders where it is they're headed for. He looks over to Jou who doesn't have a map or even a bit of paper with an address. Nothing.

" Jou where are we going?"

Jounouchi glances over to Kaiba and gives a sly grin, he obviously has no intent of giving away the grand surprise.

" it's one of the best places in the world. I think you'll really like it."

" … that's not really much of a clue."

"myow"

Cognac begins yowling in Jous general direction, then paws at the window with mild urgency.

" alright alright, just hold it a minute."

"myowwwwww."

Jou glances backward before pulling off to the side of the road and opening his door, his large cat bounding out over his lap before he has a chance to get out of the vehicle himself. He just rolls his eyes as he watches her scurry off out of sight behind a bush.

" don't you worry about her? What if she chases a mouse and doesn't come back?"

He chuckles lightly as Kaiba decides he feels like stretching his legs, he walks around the front and leans against the closed back door.

" nah, my neighbor used to have pet hamster and I asked her to babysit while I was off at a tournament right. So she says yea sure, but then her hamster get out, she chased that thing all over the place, apparently it ran right over cognac. Like she was a speed bump. I really don't think she's interested in having to chase her food."

"Jou."

"yea."

"can you give me a clue about where we're going."

Kaiba looks at Jou sideways, his arms crossed over his chest as he leans against the vehicle. He doesn't seem to notice the way the pose makes his stomach stick out ever so slightly. Smiling at the image of Kaiba pouting, Jou rummages in his too deep pocket. His fingers curl around the slender bit of metal in his pocket, he plucks it out and holds it out right in Kaibas line of sight.

"...oh?"

The key is blackened from age, its weight surprises Kaiba as it falls into his open palm. He stares at it intensely, noting the way the end piece curls about in a deceptively whimsical way. In kaibas mind he pictures a house, old and strong, made of brick and iron. He doesn't know why simply holding the Key in his palm gives him such a sense of security and... hope?

A day later Kaiba finds himself waking up in the car, his seat fully reclined, and coat thrown over him, in lieu of a blanket. The sun is spilling over the horizon, he finds himself stunned. Nothing but greenery as far as he can see, the unpaved road winds on and on, how strange. Its strange he finds himself completely awake and alert as he takes in his surroundings, mountains off to the left, various trees clustered along the way. He presses the tip of his middle finger against the small black button, rolling down the window. He peeks out, looking up spotting an unusually large black bird flying off towards what appears to be a forest. The sound of chirping cicadas is everywhere, the sound is completely foreign, the aroma of lemon grass and freshwater filling his nostrils. The entire scene so alien to him, its filled a quiet peaceful calm, the way he always imaged a Sunday is supposed to be. For some reason his heart beats thunderously in his chest, as if it where racing a track horse.

" Jou, where.. where are we?"

He places himself back in his seat, setting it back into a customary sitting position, he turns to look at Jounouchi.

" I knew you'd like it."

Jou glances over to kaiba with a slight grin, lightly weighted circles forming under his eyes.

"you look so tired suya, I can drive you know."

" but you don't know where we're going."

" you could just tell me."

"pfft, I wanna do this the fun way."

"do even remember where this place is?"

Jou snickers lightly as he shakes his head.

" its really kind of hard to forget."

Off in a garden like a forest Bakura finds himself surprised as he stares at the ethereal figure of the woman whos head he just buried. He wonders to himself if she is displeased with the burial, or perhaps mad that body is not near. She makes no notion of anger, she simply walks off knowing that he follows her at a short distance. Her image flickers now and then, before she stand in what looks like silver water, swaying in a breeze.

He moves in closer crouching down to look, small flowers, with white stems and silver petals.

Moonlace.

She sits down beside him, he blinks at her unsure of what he ought to do with this. She reaches out with her substance-less hands curling them around the blossom and bringing her hands into her chest. With her translucent fingers she points to the moon hanging high in the sky, then to where the sun will rise and shakes her finger at him. After this odd message she dissipates from his field of vision, he wonders where she has gone, knowing that is not the end of her.

"well here we are!"

Kaiba arcs an eyebrow as he watches the greenery flow on by, mentally he counts backwards from ten, rather than yelling all the unpleasant things he wishes to. When he feels the car roll to a halt he opens his eyes and finds himself staring at what he will have to call home for the next few years.

The walls are made of sun bleached bricks, the window frames painted white, the windows themselves layered with dust from years of neglect. Its door is a pleasant oaken brown, it appears to be roped shut, as the thick sprawling vines that crawl up the walls spread across the door. Two floors and a sloping roof over the attic, on the left side is a tall chimney, again covered with crawling vines. On the opposite side of the house is a rounded wall with an arced window sunken into the surface.

Jou smiles to himself at the looks of slight awe on Kaibas face, as they step out of the car cognac slinks off and finds a place in the window sill to sit while she waits for the door to open.

"it need some cleaning for sure before we can really move in. its mostly all just a buncha dust though."

They walk to the door, Kaiba still holding the heavy key in his hand. Tall grass rustling up against their knees, behind the house is a vast forest of tall trees, their branches winding together forming a canopy that blots out the sun. a little ways to the right is a babbling brook, his eye follow it to where it meets a lake with water so still its surface is like a thin sheet of crystal clear glass. On the opposite side of the lake are even more trees, small colorful birds fluttering about before settling in.

Kaiba turns back to the door, standing up directly beside it he feels rather small. The hinges are easy to see, made black wrought iron and so strong. He finds his mind is void of thought as he sets the key into the small hole above the darkened brass door knob. It refuses to turn, so he places both his hands on the key and turns it as hard as he can. A heavy thump is heard from the other side, the ancient tumbler almost forgot how to turn. He moves his hand from the key down to the knob, finding himself rather nervous, though he couldn't for the life of him explain why.

Jou places his hand over Kaibas, turning the knob and pushing forward for him. The air that rushes out is old and stale, the room itself is gray and listless. Kaiba walks in looking every where, Jou strolls past him, obviously perfectly aware of the houses layout. He pulls the curtains open and pops open the windows. He waves off the dust that flew from the fibers of the curtains and into the air, with a huff Jou begins to take them down deciding just to take them outside and air them out.

Kaiba finds himself staring a particular spot on the wall, where the paint is smudged and look like a hand, blotted in the paint beside that is a much smaller hand. Crouching down Kaiba looks a bit closer, then places his hand over the larger hand print finding that his own hand is just a bit larger than other. Jou blinks as he carries the bundle of curtains out the door, he smiles down at Kaiba.

"that was moms idea, she thought it was fun until I tried painting on the stairs."

Kaiba pushes himself up off his knees, ignoring Jous commentary.

" I want to look around a bit, alright?"

With that he wanders down the hall and up the stairs, he stops on the way looking at a framed picture of a little boy and strange looking girl. The boy has a familiar bright wide smile, with a red shirt and khaki shorts accompanied by grubby blue and white sneakers. Over his shoulder is a stick with a piece of string tied top the end, the catch of that day sitting in the girls hands. Her very odd looking hands, she smiles nervously at the camera. She wears a damp looking greenish sack shaped dress, a small shoestring tied around her waist in place of a belt, no shoes on her feet. Kaiba stares at the picture a moment longer wondering what in the picture is amiss, unable to place it he shrugs off the thought and continues up the stairs where he glances at other pictures.

On the walls of the hall upstairs are pressed flowers wedged in between sheets of glass, a small white paper in each corner with whimsical writing. As he passes from one collective of pressed flowers, he finds they all read the name ' kumiko'. It must be Jounouchi's mother... Kaiba muses as he pushes open a door. The room inside blacked out, he blinks until his eyes adjust to the lack of light before walking to where the shape of a window is. He flicks open a small latch and opens the window, surprised to find a tree so close he peeks out and down. He smirks at the sight of a tire swing turning slowly with a light breeze. Leaning a bit further out he spots a t shaped pole with three wire tied to it, the fly off out of his field of vision where they connect to another t shaped pole, a simple clothes line.

Turning around he looks around the room with its bluish gray walls, accented with the thin curled lines that pull together in the outline of small daisies here and there. A roll top writing desk sits off to the right with its lid pulled shut. Just beyond that is small twin size bed, made up with a light green comforter and pile of dinosaur print pillows. On the opposite wall is a large sheet of white paper hanging on the wall, beneath which sits a plastic tub filled with crayons and small jars of finger paint. Pressed in near the corner is a bookshelf adorned with a collection of thin paper books, a few hardcovers with simple embossing on the spine and cover. Between the dresser and sheet of paper is a door, the closet.

Curiously Kaiba opens the door and peeks in, finding only empty hangers and a toy box on the floor. He glances about be fore he moves to shut the door, there on the top shelf is a box. A little white shoebox. He reaches up and pulls it down, too light to actually have shoes in it, too heavy to be empty. He pops open the lip and finds feathers taped to bits of paper, on each piece of paper is small scribble in the vague shape of something avian, underneath each image is a name. Blue jay, crow, robin, cardinal and so on. He flips through until he finds a long black feather, it was curled and forced into the box. As he unfurls it he finds it to be the length of his forearm, on a small tag tied to the end is a the chicken scratch writing of a child. While letters are smeared and hard to read the message is clear.

'monster'

He wants to disregard it as a child's overactive imagination, but that is difficult as he stares at the oversized feather. Nervously he places the lid back on the box and puts it back on its lonesome spot of shelf. He moves to shut the window, then decides against it, he curses his anxiety as he walk out of the room.

He crosses the hall and finds a room of equal size, with a twin bed, purple floral printed bedding and clouds painted across the upper portion of the pastel blue walls. Horses. They sit everywhere in the room, in small clusters the plastic pony guard the desk the window and much of the book shelf. He crosses the room opening the window, glancing around and wandering off to the room at the end of the hallway. Its wider than the others, with a full size bed. Its covers are a deep wine red, accented with black stitch work. The pillows piled over the top half adorned with buttons and small tassels, making them impossible to sleep on comfortably. Folded up the foot of the bed is a lump of fabric, he reaches out tugging on a corner of it. It mostly falls to the floor, he eyes it curiously, all of its small squares of mismatched fabrics. A quilt. He turns it over to find a small aqua square on one spot, stitched shut on it is a pencil pocket, over that pocket in the name . Kaiba finds himself smirking at the small pink rabbit in the very corner.

He tries to imagine Jou in the bunny class of preschool, he can't stop the small laugh that escapes. Before looking any further he hurries across the room and pops open a window, as it swings open he finds himself staring out over the expanse of the lakes surface, the tall mountains in the distance, miles of tree tops and various greenery. Plopping down on the bed kaiba begins to 'read' the quilt, as he moves across rows of small square patches, he realizes the quilt is generations old. As he hold the final row, belonging to Jounouchi, he sighs as he realizes its one patch too short. Its incomplete. Feeling a bit disappointed he folds it back up and leaves the room he failed to explore.

Kaiba finds himself with a bit of guilt lodged somewhere in his stomach, he watches as Jou sweeps through the living room, all it curtains and cover's hanging out on the line.

" is there something I can do suya?"

Jou pulls the front of his shirt down, uncovering his nose and mouth.

" um.. yea, actually. Look in that closet there, there should be a weird little stick, its for getting the dust and stuff out out of the blankets and rugs... and I guess curtains. I have em hung out back, if you get tired just take a break okay and I'll finish."

Kaiba yanks the closet door open he finds it mostly empty aside from another broom,mop, bucket, dustpan and the strange wicker stick. The end of which looks strikingly similar to that of the houses key.

He wanders out back to find cognac eyeballing a passing humming bird, but making no move whatsoever to catch it. Kaiba finds the copper colored curtains draped across the line, for a moment he wonders what to do. How do you clean with a stick? He snorts to himself in amusement before simply swatting the curtains with the wide net like end of the stick. Clouds of dust fly up and float off in the breeze, suddenly Kaiba realizes why Jou had his shirt lifted like that. He follows suit and continues lightly batting the curtains, until he finds no more little clouds puffing up.

The day goes on this way, with Jou bringing out carious drapes blankets and rugs before taking the others back inside. Finally exhausted, Kaiba wonders if his exhaustion is due to his 'condition' or if he's just out of shape. He picks up the wine red blanket he knows goes to the upstairs bedroom folds it up and goes inside. The wood paneled floor gleams, reflecting the remainder of the suns rays, all the dust on the walls wiped away. He smiles at the place as he walks up the stairs, all the pictures wiped clean, the glass looking fresh and new. Although the two hand prints remain on the wall.

" are you... sweeping the ceiling?"

"...it's dusty..."

A/N: i know i made you wait forever im so sorry im already working on ch 21, please forgive me! i hope this was somewhat worth your incredible wait


	21. life goes on

Ch 21

life goes on

Mokuba stares out the window, confused and curious. All around the premises crawling up the walls on every side are the offspring of a single plant, one Moonlace planted in the center of the garden. It bore one more small blossom, that allowed its seed to carried off with a breeze and scattered across the estate. It clings to the walls blotting out the bricks, rims the windows and doors in a strange way, as if where guarding the place.

His storm gray eyes focus on one particular spot, the place where he saw her head on a spit, almost a month ago. He sighs as he closes his eyes tiredly, he curiously wonders how his brother is, how Jounouchi is, how the unborn children are doing. At his feet soco lays flat, his slender body feeling sluggish and heavy. The sorrow of this long separation from his master and his mother is almost too much to bear. But its alright he isn't alone in his sorrow, he can feel it pouring off of the boy with hair black as the darkest night. The sorrow, anger and fear wells up in so many of the strange people here, especially the wold woman, she sits in chairs by windows, knitting up blankets. Soco always watches her, he wonders why she does these things, or why the tall one with spiked hair mutters things to the one with white hair so much, what are they saying?

A strange scent wafts in the air, familiar as usual. The smell of curdles milk and rotten flesh, over the wall the bizarre thing paces back and forth. Mokuba watches it look for a weakness is the shield of silver petals. It won't find one, even if it does it will only be met by Bakura once it set its misshapen feet down. Malik and Ishizu stay in the basement, they only told Atem what they where doing, Mokuba hadn't bothered asking. Hundreds of creatures had begun slinking up to the walls, only to have their skin singed when they touched the blossoms. Asuka has grown so accustomed to the bizarreness she has been ignoring it, in favor of keeping her promise. She has begun slowly dismantling the previous children's nursery and carrying its parts down to the basement, where she also ignores the doings of Ishizu and Malik.

Clear across the country in a small house where all the windows are open and the fading sunlight pours in the windows Kaiba sighs contentedly. He love the sensation of lips caressing the side of his neck, hands gliding over his body and knowing this is only for him. He rolls his hips from his place on Jous lap, his mind is fogged with effect of a mild high, he loves doing it like this. They press their lips together, allowing their tongues to meet for a while as they Jou pumps his hips up ward in his effort to assist Kaiba in his desperate need for release. Kaiba moans and huffs with his arms wrapped around Jous shoulders, he throws his head back shouting Jous names he finally feels his whole body being racked the euphoric sensation of his release. His body sags with exhaustion as he leans against Jous body, the way Jou continues thrusting and pummeling his sweet spot seems to only extend the feeling. He loves the way Jou holds him close as he searches for his own climax, the desperate way he grips him is always a giveaway. The way he breathes to heavily in his ear, huffing and grunting until suddenly he pulls Kaiba as close as he can, raining kisses down on him. Then he can feel it burst inside himself, while a strange feeling originally he finds that rather enjoys it, although he would only ever admit in his slightly high mindset.

Kaiba lays on his back, this particular feeling of satisfaction unlike anything he knows. Almost as good as being able to feel Jou sprawled out beside him. With heavy eyelids he finds that sleep is something he can't fight after making love, no matter what time of day it is. Jou smirks to himself as he watches Kaibas eyes fall closed, usually at this hour he's completely wound up and full of energy. Jou rolls onto his side, he reaches over and brushes Kaibas bangs away from his face, enjoying he way his eyelashes fan out. His hand falls lower, setting down softly against the more pronounced curve of Kaibas belly. It should be strange that at three months along his stomach is quite so rounded, but to Jou he can't help but become slightly excited, a sense of pride he can't quite explain.

Jou leans forward and presses his lips against Kaibas stomach, as he always does. He smirks as he watches sleep take away kaibas inhibition, his human face slowly shifts and becomes one Jou has become quite attached to. It always leaves him wondering how his children will look when they're born. Kittens?

In the back of his mind he recalls the fact that they where supposed to go into town and go shopping, not spend majority of the day having gratuitous amounts of sex. Jou flops back onto the bed pulling the blankets over them. As Kaiba curls up on his chest he muses to himself. It can wait.

The following morning Kaiba wakes at an hour he previously referred to as 'fuck o'clock', by this time has become accustomed to allowing the sun to wake him. Feeling the slight weight beside him disappear Jou yawns and begins him morning stretches before finding himself pleasantly distracted by Kaiba roaming about in search of clothes. It is less than an hour later that the pair drives down the familiar unpaved path that leads a single paved road. About an hour of driving down this road leads the pair into a nearby town, small and friendly. Kaiba blinks at his reflection in the windows dark tinting, its been over a month since his last hair cut. He begins to fuss with the ends of his hair that brush over his shoulders, curling just slightly. As he stares at his reflection he finds himself mildly amused.

" whats up love?"

" I need a haircut, badly."

"eh? Why, I think it looks cute."

" cute?"

" yea, you're cute, its why all the guys in town flirt with you."

" no its cause they think I'm a woman."

"a very cute woman."

" oh shut it."

Jou snorts and laughs as they find themselves pulling into the small parking lot of a local shop. Only one story tall with wide windows and hand written signs for the current prices of furniture. Jou hops out tossing his door shut and quickly moves around the car to open Kaibas door just as he finishes unbuckling his seat belt. Always loving the way this gesture seems to fluster Kaiba, Jou smiles and leans forward, softly kissing Kaibas soft pink lips. Shutting the door and taking Kaibas hand in his own as they walk up to the double doors with their many hand written sale notices.

The store is larger inside than it appears on the outside, or perhaps the manager simply manages the limited space very well. As they first walk in they are greeted by new worker with a puffy reddish brown ponytail, she smiles and waves at them.

" ah you're back, I was beginning to wonder when we'd see you again. Do you know what you're looking for or would you like some assistance?"

She says this almost directly to Kaiba, who for some reason finds himself feeling a bit sheepish. Jou chuckles at the strange way way shyness settles on his lover.

" we're getting ready to set up the nursery. All we have is the crib, so we need pretty much every thing right now."

Kaiba gives a slight nod, the woman whose name tag reads 'Osono' gives a great wide smile and claps her hands together.

"alright then, I'll make sure you walk out of here with the foundations of your nursery. Once you get all that set up you come on back for the 'fluff' okay."

"fluff?"

Kaiba arcs an eyebrow at her.

"yea, you know the little nick knacks, toys, wall decorations. The stuff that's nice to have but you can do without."

"ah, I see. The unnecessary frill on a dress."

"yep yep, but a dress is no fun without a little 'frill'."

Jou snorts, stifling a laugh.

" so you have a crib already we'll need to get you a changing table."

"actually we need another crib."

Osono smiles brightly as she pauses midstep down one aisle, she turns on the ball of her foot. Excitement all over her face, just as apparent as her many freckles.

"oh my twins? Oh that's wonderful, how far along are you dear?"

Kaiba feels his face burn with warmth, he's unaccustomed to such behavior at any time.

" three months-"

Her face quickly shifts to one of shock and confusion, she places one hand on her hip, the other on her cheek, as if trying to wipe away the possibly rude expression on her.

"oh, my! Those must be some big babies."

Jou smiles and decides as cute as kaiba is when he blushes he should probably not be having this conversation alone.

"actually they're pretty small, but there's five of 'em in there."

He stands behind Kaiba and places a hand on his swollen belly, he also places a small kiss on Kaibas cheek. The woman's mouth falls open, her eyes as wide as saucers, she quickly claps bother her hands over her mouth trying to wrap her mind around the thought.

"oh, but you're so petite! How will you ever carry that many!?oh my oh, how did that happen?!"

Jou laughs while Kaiba glares out the window, disliking the 'petite' comment entirely. In his mind his broad shoulders and triangular torso are far from from 'petite'. Perhaps she is referring to his exceedingly slender hips.

" no worries, my love will be just fine... and we're just lucky I guess."

Jou laughs off her shock and finds himself smirking at the strange look Kaiba gives him. Osono stares in bewilderment for a moment before reminding herself they need cribs and tables and clothes, as she walks away in a slight hurry now she mutters to herself a laundry list of baby needs.

They walk into an aisle comprised of entirely of slender display cribs and various styles of changing tables. As she stops and looks at a particular crib, dark red wood with one side that drops into a slide lock.

" so you already have a crib? What kind is it?do you know the measurements?"

" its a circular crib, it has about...six of these tiles around..."

He taps at the linoleum tiled floor with the tip of his flat black slip shoe, his hand now lightly gripping onto Jous elbow. Osono walks along the tile, musing in her head for a moment, she pures her lips for a moment looking up from the floor.

" that's a pretty big crib, with that- if you don't mind them sharing you could use only one or two more cribs. That way you wont have a room just flooded with cribs and nothing else."

Jou smiles raising an eyebrow at Kaiba curiously.

" it would depend on the other cribs too I suppose, it is rather large. Almost takes up a whole corner by itself."

" alright this one here is very big, lots of space- its actually the model Akiko Tetsuka purchased when she had twins, she said it still had room to spare in it. And her boys where big ones. Let me see if we have one in stock, that way..."

She begins crouching down and dragging her fingers across the spines of long boxes, beneath the display.

" aha! Here we are, you can see how big it is!"

She grips one side of the box and pulls, with what looks like all her might. She successfully manages to free one corner, as she braces herself for another pull Jou steps in grips the loose corner with one hand and gives it a tug. He begins stepping backward as he holds one end with both hands. Osono jumps out the way, she blinks at Jou in surprise from where she stands, now directly beside Kaiba.

" oh my, isn't he strong."

Kaiba glares sideways at her, expecting to see her 'appreciation' of Jous strength. Instead she just looks pleasantly surprised.

"you weren't kidding, this thing is huge!"

Jou pauses, letting the end of it stay wedged in the shelf, Kaiba walks over examining the image on the box, the list of parts and then lastly the price tag. He then looks at the display model curiously.

" this one is nice... however I would like to see the others you have before I decide."

Jou effortlessly replaces the box, again to Osono's amazement. They continue down the aisle examining display models and plucking out the actual boxes, at the end of the aisle Kaiba huffs mildly disappointed by the variety of sizes.

"well I suppose we should go with that first one hmm."

Jou slings his arm over Kaibas shoulders and presses another kiss on his cheek.

" good, I liked that one best."

"oh is something wrong, you seem a bit disappointed."

Osono wrings her hands as she looks to Kaiba nervously.

" I just wish there more to choose from. I don't really feel like there's much of a choice from that first one for us. The rest are too small to share and too big to want three of."

"oh, well we have a small selection of bassinets, would you like to look at those?"

They walk around the corner to a much smaller variety, immediately kaiba laughs brightly. He walks briskly up to one particular model, egg shaped and colored, accented with a baby blue ribbon and matching sheer canopy. He doesn't seem to notice the others, as he looks up over to jou who peeks into it over his Kaibas shoulder.

"this one! It has to be this one!"

"so tiny..."

"babies are tiny Suya, and I want five of them."

"what about the crib, Mai will be sad if we don't use it..."

" yes, yes- we can use it as a play pen. It has a floor level option."

He waves off Jou's worry as he lifts up the sheer canopy, counting the layers of white versus blue sheer. They spend the next few hours helping Kaiba handpick every little thing that might possibly enter the nursery. Five bassinets, two changing table, five mobiles, a crib bumper for what will become the playpen, innumerable blankets with various designs. Five small stuffy books with chewable corners four animal stuffies with either a squeak or a bell inside, lastly the beginnings to a small hoard of washable diapers.

Kaiba smiles without meaning to as he watches the boxes of unmade bassinets pile up on the opposite side of the register, watches how Osono is careful to keep all multiples together, all the mobiles in one large bag and stacked up on top of the bassinets, both changing tables leaning against the steadily growing tower. As the various supplies fly across her scanner a rather confused looking man steps out from a room somewhere in the back of the store to stand next to Osono, he blinks at the pile and then at the couple across the counter.

" what, are you starting a day care?"

Osono glances over to him, with one hand she reaches out and snaps his hanging ID off from around his neck,she types his badge number under the total cost. It knock a hundred and fifty dollars off the final price, ah, he's the manager.

" Osono!"

She lazily tosses his badge back at him, she prints the receipt before turning to glare at him. She jabs her finger into his chest accusingly.

" don't you 'osono' me! How rude can you be?!-"

She scrunches up her face as she mocks his voice.

"are you starting a day care?!"

Jou and Kaiba watch as the store manager steadily shrinks in his attempt to get away.

"really why is that what you say?and NO they are not starting a day care you ass! She is having five- FIVE babies!-"

They watch his eyes grow three times in size, his mouth falls open- she quickly plants her hand under his chin snapping his mouth shut. He merely blinks at her completely befuddled.

" so I will give them whatever damn discount I bloody well can, you got that- sirrrrr."

She drags out the final letter as she glares the kind of glare that freezes water and keeps boys in line long after they've left home. The manager raises his hands up in surrender, he then hurries out of her line of sight back to the safety of his office neatly tucked away in the back. Her glare stabs through the back of his shirt all the way until his door clicks shut.

Jou tries desperately tries to stifle his amusement, Kaiba smiles at Osono in an approving kind of way, he glances at the receipt before handing her a prepaid credit card under a false name. She swipes it through and waits for Kaiba to type in the pin number. Jou picks up the many bassinets, Osono takes up the bag of mobiles and two others. Kaiba moves to pick the changing table boxes only for Osono to cut in

"oh no you don't you just wait right here, don't you worry none. Your superman here will be right back for those okay."

Kaiba huffs at her now mildly irritated.

" I happen to be pregnant not disabled!"

While Osono attempts to right herself Jou strolls back placing the bassinets over the two flat boxes containing the changing tables, and carries them all out the door. Osono blinks at him in amazement bore hurrying over to open the door for him. Kaiba simply leans against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest and a lame glare aimed through the glass at Jou. He watches Osono pop open the unlocked back seat, then the trunk. Jou carefully lays down their purchase in the trunk, making room for the remainder of the bags. Jou and Osono stroll back in, Jou holding the door open for her. She fidgets when she spots Kaibas still strong glare at Jou, who allows it roll off his back harmlessly.

" your an ass."

"yep."

Kaiba watches as Jou picks up the remainder of the merchandise with ease, the way Jou looks at him with that insinuative smirk. Feeling his face begin to heat, Kaiba simply marches for the door not bothering to hold it open. Jou smiles as he watches Kaiba sit down in the passenger side seat and read over the receipt.

" I hope I didn't cause you any trouble."

Osono walks with Jou up to the door, she holds it open for him as both his arms are full. He laughs warmly, before answering.

"nah, I think its time to eat something. Is there anywhere good around here?"

Kaiba watches as Osono points down the street, she talks with her hands as she directs Jou to a small diner a few blocks away where her sister works. He sighs, damn Jou knowing these things, his hand sits on his belly, slowly moving in wide circles.

A few hours later the pair arrives home, Kaiba being too tired after eating to bother trying to help bring in the bags. As he moves sluggishly up the stairs he blinks at the picture that sits on the floor, he places it back on the wall without bothering to look at it. As he opens the bedroom door,he blinks in surprise at the open window, didn't they shut that before they left? Oh well, he likes the windows open anyway, hes sits down on the edge of the bed kicking off his slippers before laying down right on top of the covers. As his vision fades and blurs he swears he sees some one looking at him from the tree outside. His head rolls to look the other way, he eyes focus for just a moment on the two long feathers that sit on Jou's pillow. Vision dies and the only sound in the room is Kaibas steady breathing and the sound of a breeze whistling through the trees.


	22. why do you stay

Ch 22

why do you stay

A fire blazes bright and warm in the hearth of the sitting room in the Kaiba estate. Bakura and Atem sit close by as if contemplating their next plan of action. Thanks to the thousands of blossoms that have overtaken the walls and entryways around the perimeter the creature skulking about has not been able to find a way in, so the house itself has been calm...aside from the strange noises that seep out from beneath the basement door. The pair sits quietly watching the fire crackle, their unvoiced thoughts disrupted when Asuka steps forward to offer them tea. Atem accepts with a slight nod, Bakura stares at her intently, accepting quietly.

As she bows and makes to back out of the room, bakura voices the thought had been bothering him for about a month now.

"maid servant, your name is Asuka yes?"

"indeed it is."

" I have a question for you."

" I hope I may be of assistance in your query."

" any sane person would have run away by now, I know why we stay-"

He motions over to Atem and glances in the direction of the basement.

" but you, why do you stay here through all this, you can't possibly be this desperate for a job."

She stares at him void of any readable expression, for a moment he wonders if he offended her.

" many years ago, I was called lightfoot, guardian of the thundering woods. Breaker of bone bringer of blood.-"

Atem and Bakura both look at her curiously, waiting for her to continue. She sets the tea tray underneath her arm, deciding they have earned the right to such privy information.

" it was when there where several clans of our people here, but war came when to all of us when Helios took the lead of that clan..."

she points with her chin out the window.

"he brought terrors back from the dead to so many of us, I did what I could, but I … strong as I was could still not take down the masses of those creatures. So I was thrown to the side, I assume they thought me dead. When I woke there where only burning bodies, piles of them. Only one clan remained. I refused to join, how could I ? so I wandered, I could not hunt here, or they would know I had lived. So I hungered until I fell down wishing for death. I lay there for weeks, not dying but decaying for I had no home no hope and no future... until a very small boy with eyes like ice looked at me. I thought perhaps he would do something unkind. I did not at all expect that he would do what he did. He sat down beside me for a moment before running off, he came back and of all things, he handed me an apple."

Asuka laughs dryly at the memory.

" I was of course in no state to eat such a thing, so he took a bite, and then gave it to me. I took quite a while before I had ingested most of it. After that he ran off and cam back with water, a bottle of water. He stayed there for almost three hours before I could stand up. He told me to follow him, so I did. He led me all the way to the back door of this house. He took me to the maids quarters pointed out the shower and a closet full of uniforms and told to stay out of his fathers sight, and I would be fine."

she pauses in thought for a moment, unsure of if that portion of the story is satisfactory, they watch her. Waiting for the rest.

" I did stay, out of sight. But I watched him, and his brother, he was often sent to bed without dinner for various reasons. So I brought him his dinners much later at night, and one night it was different. The old man... he was screaming at the door, so inebriated I could not completely understand what he was saying. I had thought he would get that out of his system and go on to bed, so I went about my rounds. After awhile I could smell smoke and then I heard that scream..."

They watch as her face seems to lose its color, her eyes becoming dark and distant.

"when I came back he was laughing, and shouting 'who's going to save you?'. I ran, shoved him to the side, and kicked the door in. when I looked in the room was blazing, the walls... he was on the floor in the middle trying to wake up his brother. But he was so... tired and weak. I grabbed them and came out again, this place was filled with so many people. All the maids butlers cooks all of that and no one even budged to stop that man from burning those children alive. I have seen to it that we have newer more loyal staff now, but I will remain where master Kaiba needs me even if I am the only one."

Bakura looks at her curiously.

"what did Gozaburo do when he discovered you?"

" I had thrown him quite a distance, I believe he pretended I did not exist as he did not wish to relive the experience."

She stares for a while at the fire licking the brick walls of the fireplace before them.

"he has been nothing but good to me, he has fought with that man for my right to be here. When Gozaburo died, he promoted me. He gives me good pay, I don't know why, I don't really buy anything as I don't really want much. I have a home here, food to eat and I am permitted to take any day off in the week so long as he is aware of it. I remember the way he suffered... when he lost sakuya. I know what he became, did you know after he returned from duelist kingdom...he apologized to me. I... am not even sure what for. I believe he knew how much I was disappointed in him at that time I suppose. I do not think that I will ever have it in me to allow him to suffer again, as he has always seen to it that I have not suffered so long as I am here with him. I stay here because I do not know any other way to thank him for everything he has done for me I suppose."

She seems to have satisfied herself with this answer, it seems to be the only thing that had concerned her really. After a moment of silent thought she gives a curt nod to the pair by the fire before politely backing out of the room.

A Full month later Kaiba stares out the nursery window, absently running circles over his now protruding belly with one hand. Its quiet, he smiles slightly, happy with the heavy wooden rocking chair he sits in complete with pastel blue cushions. The room has been completely repainted,apple trees and fairies fluttering this way and that. The painted branches creep across the ceiling, with five golden apples hanging. One over each bassinet, in the very center of the canopies above the slowly turning mobiles. He turns his vision away from the room he had spent so long meticulously organizing and decorating with Jounouchi, he heaves a slight sigh as he stares out the window. His breath catches in his throat as he finds wide eyes with dilated pupils staring back at him.

A/n: i am aware that this is a very short chapter, but ive been up to other things, (like writing another story). i have been dealing with friends drama, it tends to slow down the writing process a bit, i have been getting ready to open up an online shop for my art and the backpacks and purses i make. so forgive my tardiness. i may not be updating as often as before im so sorry. but please don't lynch meeee... i love you dears!


	23. nesting

Ch 23

Nesting

Kaiba quickly gets to his feet and rushes from the room, he can't move fast enough.

" SUYA!"

He looks in the bedroom, to find Jou sleeping like a rock, not as he didn't have a right. He had been the one to carry all those things up the stairs and to put them together, to move them about the room until Kaiba was satisfied with their placement. Knowing bloody well that Jou wont wake, Kaiba huffs and turns bolting for the stairs, not really sure what he's doing, cognac blinks at him from her place on the couch. Frightened and not really sure what else to do, he allows his hands and teeth to change, he feels the familiar sensation of muscles pulling themselves taught and the bizarre feeling of his nails extending. By the time he rounds the corner of the house he moves in a loping motion, there it is. The thing that was watching him, it sees him and screeches at the top of its lungs. His ears press flat to the sides of his head and he sneers at the unpleasant sound, his yellow eyes narrow to slits. The creature is another weird one, humanoid... vaguely. It has no visible ears, grayish skin with blue tinting here and there, its wide almost circular eyes are almost entirely made up of pupils. Sticking out from its head are long thin black feathers, hundreds of them, at a distance it might just look like matted hair. Its screaming continues, he looks and sees in its open mouth are only two long jagged teeth shaped like a horse shoe. Its tongue is black thin ...shaped like an arrow head. Its arms are raised up showing off its own sharp claws, so long and thin they are almost translucent. Only three fingers and thumb on either skinny spindly hand, abnormally long narrow arms, from which sprout a few small tufts of down like feathers. Its legs are folded beneath it, he can see the strange shape of its pronged foot, the skin from the calf down resembling dull scales. A strange purplish liquid pools beneath it, looking closer Kaiba sees a chunk of metal sitting in the grass beneath the thing. A half circle with sharp triangular teeth all o which are buried deeply in the things right foot and calf. The screaming finally stops, the air only filled with the sound of its hyperventilating. Its wide almost bulbous eyes fixate on him, with its arms raised up like that and its small … fragile claws exposed he blinks realizing its absolutely horrified of him. So much of the creature is undeveloped, those claws to tender to be of any use, tufts of feathers that will grow into wings. A child. A bird no less, of course its scared.

Kaiba retracts his own claws, placing his hands down on the floor and moving toward it on all fours. It keeps its arms raised up, trying to look bigger than it is. Its mouth opens to scream again but it only makes a strangled sort of gurgling noise. Its squirms trying to get away, only serving to twist its already mangled leg in the rusted bear trap. Suddenly its hands fist into the floor, its mouth pulled over its teeth and its eyes clenched shut, a river of tears spilling without a trace of a sound. With a soft thump it falls over to the ground its shoulder and head hitting the grass, ah its giving up. Kaiba quickly moves forward wedging his fingers between the teeth of the bear trap and carefully pulling them apart. His heart feels like a thousand needles have been shoved through it when all he hears is a strained sob, his pained heart clenches in his chest when he sees terror stricken eyes looking at him, just waiting. He turns to look at it, no gender is apparent, all he can see is that's its very young and very hurt. He reaches down, placing one hand beneath its knees the other around its back. He can feel it curling in on itself, desperately trying become as small as possible.

As he walks he makes sure to allow himself to regress back into his human form, it watches raptly as his features soften and his eye become the most wondrous shade of blue its ever seen. When walks int the door he finds Jou standing in the kitchen looking sleepy and absolutely bewildered.

"suya what are you doing?"

" I... I heard a teapot..."

" okay, I already got it, so go back to bed alright."

" wussat?"

" the teapot"

" ….mkay"

He watches as Jou lazily drags himself back up the stairs, he can hear it when Jous body flops haphazardly onto the bed. With a slight snicker Jou pushes the door shut using his hip, he walks forward and sets the small creature down on the couch beside cognac, who shifts in place and begins licking its face. Kaiba wanders off to the kitchen digging around for a few dishcloths a large bowl to fill with water and the first aid kit he keeps tucked under the sink. When he walks back into the room he finds cognac lapping at its injured foot, it just winces repeatedly at the motion. He waves his hand at cognac, shooing her away.

" stop that, your going to get that infected!"

She just flops over back onto the couch, her tail flicking this way and that. Kaiba pops open the little white box with its small red cross on the front and picks up a small brown bottle of alcohol. He picks up a pillow and hands it to the child, knowing this will hurt. Curiously it reaches out, holding the pillow to its chest like a shield. Unsure of whether or not it will understand him, he warns anyway.

" this is going to sting a lot, so be brave okay."

It just blinks tilting its head to the side nervously gripping the pillow. He holds its injured foot in one hand the brown bottle in the other, slowly he tips the bottle and lets the fluid spill into its many gaping wounds. It screams and crams a corner of the pillow into its mouth and bites down, all those tears streaking down its face again. After a few minutes, satisfied with his work he closes the bottle and sets it back in the kit, almost empty. He then takes the cloth out of the blue bowl of lukewarm water and begins wiping the blood off its foot and leg, he can hear it panting heavily, the sound still muffled by the pillow. A few moments later hew drops the now purple blood soaked rag into the bowl, he then plucks a rolled bandage from the kit. It watches curiously as he tightly wraps up its leg in flesh toned cloth, clipping it shut with a small silver clasp.

Kaiba huffs heavily as he pushes himself back onto his feet, leaning over to pick up the bowl and kit. He huffs again as he carries the items off back to the kitchen, he pauses in the doorway as he looks at the weird child on his couch. Its one leg is cleaned, showing off how filthy the rest of it is. Sighing he walks over and picks up the child that doesn't seem quite as frightened of him as earlier, he looks at its face, pushing back the shorter feathers he would call bangs.

" suppose I should just give you a bath now huh?"

It blinks at him confused, but apparently not against whatever is happening. He huffs as he rests the child against his hip, surprised by how light it is. He moves up the stairs for the bathroom huffing as carries the weight of his bulging belly and the child as well, too much work. He lays down the lid of the toilet and sets the child down on top of it while he rummages in the cupboard by the door for towels. It waits for him as it stares around the room curiously, it pokes at the roll of toilet paper, amused by the way it spins. Kaiba watches as it amuses itself simply by spinning the toilet paper roll, he sets the towel on the clothes hampers lid and moves to open the shower. He shoves the curtain off to one side, pulling the bottom of it out of the tub, it watches as he turns the knobs. It almost screams when the shower starts, Kaiba ignores the sound and taps the small pronounced lever in the lower faucet. It begins to coo as it watches the water switch places and begin to pool in the tub. As the water runs, Kaiba blinks staring at its injured leg. Seemingly struck with genius he quickly shuts off the water and quickly leaves the room, he returns a few minutes later to find it leaning over and dipping its fingertips into the water.

" you like bathing?"

Again it just blinks at him, watching he unrolls a bit of plastic wrap and begins binding it around the already bandaged leg.

"toku mah watsuthi c ha?"

Kaiba blinks at the strange language, he finds himself smiling at the child. So it does speak. He points at the plastic wrap, it nods at him.

" I'm making sure you don't get any water on your leg, so you don't get infected."

It huffs, apparently not having understood a single word. Kaiba only chuckles as he sets the wrap off to the side, he lifts the very light child up and down into the warm water. He makes to keep its wrapped leg elevated over the surface of the water, then begins lifting palm fulls of water up to its head it just stares at him confused by the action. He reaches across the tub for a bottle of body wash, he pours a small amount onto a white cloth and begins to wash its face carefully, he move from there down its neck and shoulders. It gives a chirping laugh as he washes under its arms and across its sides. Over the belly down its back around its legs, he reaches down under to water making sure to wash its backside. By the time he reaches its uninjured leg, the water it muddy black, he pops the drain open and refills it, washings its leg and strange foot. Unsure of how to wash its 'hair' he simply pours water through the thin feather until it comes out clean. After the bath its again sits on closed toilet while kaiba rubs it down with a fluffy blue towel. It reaches forward and places its fingertips on his stomach.

" tsu liu?"

Kaiba smiles and arcs an eyebrow curiously at the child as he rubs the towel over its face and then wipes the beads of water off its 'hair'. It then curls its arms into a cradling motion as it looks at him.

"tsu liu?"

Kaiba smiles as he sits on the floor in front of it, he places his hand on his stomach.

"babies, my babies are in here."

It laughs giving a slight cheer, as it leans forward its right knee falls to the side.

"okay so you're a girl... don't do that."

He presses its her knees together, then places the towel over her lap.

"teapot huh?"

Kaiba freezes in place, slowly he turns and looks at Jou who leans in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. His brown eyes focus on Kaiba who seems at a loss for words.

"gluhdmar?"

Both of them turn to look at her, she stares at Jou waiting for a response.

"Huh?"

"toki oon ba gluhdmar?"

She points at Kaiba, then at Kaibas belly

"mawra liu, tsu liu..."

She then looks at Jou then back to Kaiba and his bulging stomach.

"gluhdmar?"

Kaiba blinks feeling slightly stupid.

" yes. But we say it differently."

He places his hand over his chest, insinuating himself.

"mother"

He places his hand over his stomach.

"baby"

He waves his hand in Jous direction.

"father."

She smiles a strange smile at them with her midnight colored eyes and solid teeth.

"mow ter, bah be, fa der?"

Jou laughs and walks in, pulling Kaiba to his feet. When Kaiba makes to lift up the girl, Jou bats him away lifting her up himself.

"wow, do you eat anything ever?"

"wu?"

"shes a bird, birds have hollow bones to make them light enough to fly."

"we should feed her, um where did you find her?"

" we will, and outside... do we have anything she can wear? I don't want her catching cold..."

" she can wear one of my sweaters"

With that Kaiba walks off to the bedroom and back again with a large green button down sweater. Jou places her down on her good leg and holds one strange hand while Kaiba tugs the large sweater over her head, pulling one hand through a sleeve, then the other. It hangs down just past her knees, the collar hanging off her puny shoulders. Both Kaiba and Jou laugh at the image she makes so confused by the garment.

" lets get yo something to eat."

They both watch amazed as she eats as if she hadn't seen food in years, after she has emptied about three plates of food, they watch as she looks around the room beginning to look anxious.

"whats she looking for?"

Kaiba blinks at her, stopping to think she didn't chew a damn thing... why does she even have teeth? Wait... she doesn't... that would be her beak.

" shes looking for pebbles..."

Jou looks at her even more bewildered.

" why?"

" birds don't have teeth so they cant chew their food. They eat pebbles to grind the food that's already in their stomach."

Jou stares at Kaiba.

"why do you know that?"

"shut up."

Kaiba makes a move to get up, Jou bats at the back of his hand before getting up himself and going outside to look for pebbles. He crouches down by the stream that babbles along a little ways from the house, he plucks up a few small pebble from the side of it and wanders back in side. He hands it off to the bird girl who quickly ingests them, they watch as the feathers on the top of her head flare up as she swallows the rocks, Kaiba hurries over with a glass of water. He pinches her chin and forces her to drink the water, she blinks and drinks it down, curiously she reaches for the glass and drinks it down. Looking sated she places the glass carefully back on the table and smiles at them, not really knowing what to do next. Jou looks at Kaiba, slightly worried.

"what do we do with her? We can't just keep her. This is someones baby."

" well she can stay the night and tomorrow we'll take her wherever she lives, okay?"

Jou looks at the girl who looks really quite pleased with things as they are. He reaches for her, he grins when she holds up her hands for him to pick her up.

"alright its time for bed girlie."

He brings her up to his hip, careful of her injury. She grips his shoulders as they take her upstairs to one of the spare bedrooms. The room is dark and breezy, Kaiba walks over and shuts the windows. He pulls the blankets back and fluffs a pillow, she blinks feeling confused but far from frightened as Jou lays her down and Kaiba brings the blanket up to her shoulders.

"we'll take you home tomorrow okay."

She doesn't seem to have a clue what they're saying, but she doesn't really care much, it feels safe here. Maybe she can stay...


	24. hello old friend

Ch 24

Welcome old friend

Bakura glares at the inky black sky pain shooting up his spine, he snarls and rolls over watching as it grins at him with its yellow eyes and large flat triangular teeth. Its face is like that of wet peeling leather, so it is as well the texture of the remainder of its long angular body with layers of sagging flesh. Its hands long flat and its finger thin and sharp with gnarled knotted knuckles, from these extremities drips a foul yellowish red viscous fluid. Its own puss like blood. Too old to use speed or strength it plays other advantages, like the inability to be physically touched. Bakura wants to run forward and rip its jaw from its head, to rip that foul grin off its disgusting face. Instead a wave of blinding pain shoots up his spine, his vision blurs and the world turns sideways. He hears a thud, but cant feel the way his own head slams against the concrete of the walking path. How did it get in? Past the flowers? Its so quiet, he didn't expect it to already be in the yard, it only places a single touch between his shoulder blades. The burning cold pain was slow at first, then came in waves, each one bringing more than the last.

It moves along sticking the dark corners and peering around, waiting, just waiting. Walking along, otogi and honda, come out looking for the strange sound they heard. They spot Bakura face down in the grass, they move toward him, but not before feeling an ice cold breeze across the back of their necks. They whip around and see the freakish figure staring at them, its putrid breath pouring out from between its chipped yellow teeth. Their pain tolerance is nothing in comparison to Bakuras, the first wave knocks them to the floor, the second wave cripples them. It walks along unhindered until it finds itself staring in the face of Atem. His furious gaze locks on it, a chill runs up his spine at the sight of it all that shows of his disgust is a sneer. He curls his lip at it and crosses his arms over his chest.

" you will stop this now."

It would seem it was not as quiet as it thought it was. It looks him over, he wears no charms, only his own prison hanging from his neck. He allows to god to guard him, he carries not even a ward. What danger is he without it all? It smiles it crooked disgusting smile, yellow foam slipping out from the corners of its mouth. It moves forward completely unafraid. Atem booms in his commanding voice.

"stop this NOW!"

He raises up one palm to it, this usually works. Whats different about this time? It reaches forward its ugly hand to touch the pharohs own. A booming noise is heard from behind him, a hurricane like wind throws the creature off its feet, its tumbles backward. Atem himself lurches forward landing belly down, he places his hands over his head guarding his face from the intense winds. As the winds die down, Atem blinks and looks over his shoulder, only seeing a pearly white light spilling out from the stairwell that leads to the basement. He looks away blinking back the dots that dance in his vision, as he pushes himself to his feet his vision clears just as that black faced creature reaches out for his face.

"cease this action."

The voice is cool calm, and hardly interested in the scene. Atem watches as the creatures muscles lock up tightening against its will, its eyes the color of curdled milk bulge in shock and fear as its body refuses to move despite its want to run. Atem turns and sees a very familiar face, he finds he has no words to express his feeling. Mostly because he cannot name his current feeling.

Walking up the stairwell is a tall well built man with excessively broad shoulders, chocolatey brown hair that spills down the back of his neck. His eyes, both bright dark and profoundly intense. He wears old garb, a white cotton tunic, from the waist down a blue and gold piece hangs down to his ankles, slit open at his hips. He wears beneath it loose fitting white pants, held close to his skin by a chain of embellished gold links. On his feet are dark blue slippers, with gold accents. Gold bands around his arms beneath his shoulders, on his fore arms, three around his neck. On the gold around his his right arm is a gap in the many spiraling gold bands that make up the bands he wears, the space is obvious and purposeful.

Atem finds himself struck by the image, not only by that but by the fact that one of those intense blue eyes is slowly fading, layered with a coat of milky white and a single long thin line on his eye. Not his face, his eye. In his wide hand is the glittering gold of the millennium rod, he holds it outward at the creature. He moves forward at a leisurely pace, no hurry, nothing will happen here without his say. He gives a light nod to Atem before returning his fixated eyes onto the creature, it snarls at him hissing curses from between its teeth. Seth turns the rod in his hand and watches as it opens its mouth, expels its tongue and bites down.

" do not curse at me."

A scream is lodged in its throat as Seth doesn't really want to hear it, he watches its tongue flop about on the floor, curious as to why it continues to move.

" you are unwanted here, so kill yourself, somewhere else."

He rolls his wrist, waving the rod lightly at the creature, it turns and marches away, burning itself on the silver blossoms as it exits the front gate. Atem stare still unsure of what to say to Seth, who turns about face and walks back in, he is even more confused when he spots another man with sand colored skin, light brown hair and honey brown eyes outlined in thick black lines. He makes a note of the slim spiraling gold band on his right wrist.

Seth looks over his shoulder and speaks in Atems general direction.

"burn the wounds to kill the infection."

Kaiba smiles brightly as he watches the bird girl that sits at the kitchen table, he fries eggs. Initially he had tried to find something else, but couldn't really think of anything. He had handed her an egg and asked if she minded eating them,she wasn't sure what he had said, but she responded by almost eating it raw. He snatched it away before she could eat the shell, so she was okay with eating eggs. Jou sat with her trying to figure out what it was that she was saying. After about a half hour he had gotten as far as teaching her that his name is Jounouchi.

"ju ni chi?"

" ah okay close enough, so I'm jounouchi. Whats your name? Name -ahkyu."

He learned a grand total of two words, name and west. She smiles and nods at him, slapping her chest with her strange hand.

" ahkyu! Khokenri! Khokenri!"

"aha! Finally I got your name! Kokenri!-"

"khhhookenri"

"kookenri"

"khhhoooo-"

"khhhookenri"

"AHT-RA!"

She laughs and smiles clapping her hands together. Kaiba walks over to the table setting Jous plate down first, then hers. He sets down a glass of orange juice beside both plates, then sits down with his own. He smiles as he watches her eat with gusto, Jou pokes the egg yolk before eating anything. Kaiba however sits eating boiled eggs a small chunk of meat Deardra had spiced before they left, toast and a bowl of blood stew. After breakfast Jou and Kaiba ready themselves to wander about in search of khokenris home.

"mawri liu..."

Kaiba looks at her for a moment, follows her line of sight and finds her gaze fixated on the picture of Jou and the very strange girl. Kaiba walks over to stand beside her.

"is that your mother?"

"mai mow- ter, isss"

She nods, with a rather forlorn expression on her face.

" don't worry we'll get you home."

Its about an hours drive west, they drive until the vehicle is no longer capable of moving forward. The tree stand unified forcing them walk for another forty or so minutes. They pause every so often, Kaiba needing a break from the rough terrain, he refuses however to simply go back to the car and wait. Their pace slows as they feel eyes all over them, looking up Kaiba blinks as he spots clusters, where branches are ties together with vines and scraps of cloth. Some more extravagant than others, with branches pulled and braided and tied up against the nearest tree. Smaller thinner branches forcefully woven together to form the base of nests, piles of leaves and half rotted pelts sit inside making them soft. Jou spies small faces with more protrusive beaks peeking over the edge of their own nests. Eventually they find one of them, standing in front of them, blocking their way. It is obviously a woman, with breasts that hang like empty bags against her chest. A white chunky necklace made with long whit pieces and tied what looks like someones hair hang over her unattractive chest A narrow tapered waist and almost non existent hips, thick muscular thighs and calves. Her feet are large and scaly with bits of lost jewelery tied onto her ankles. Her feet have thick talons with sharp points that dig into the ground. Her skin is brown and muddy, patterned like tree bark. From her long arms jut thousands of long dark brown feathers, they just from the base of her spine flaring out into a fan shape. The feather on her head various shade of brown and red. She reaches out with one hand for her, Khokenri clings to Jou refusing to let go. Kaiba looks at her worriedly, he points with his chin in the woman's direction then looks at khokenri.

"thema oon mawri liu?"

"nen nen"

She grips Jou close as she shakes her head negatively, obviously frightened of the woman. Kaiba glares at her, stepping forward still keeping on hand on his stomach he places the other hand on his hip.

"no. she is not your baby. Nen oon mawri liu"

Jou arcs an eyebrow at Kaiba, curious as to how he absorbs language like that, he doesn't say anything. Her responsive laugh is high and shrill, she points to khokenris injured foot.

"ko-pyu dhan jo ghist! Wahj ten rah oon migghet!"

Kaiba glares eying her closely but unsure of her actual words, upon closer inspection he realizes that its small bones hanging around her neck.

"nen. -"

"khokenri bah inju tan mawri liu gok ho wen!"

Its a much smaller less decorated woman in a high up nest, two small faces peek out from behind her. Kaiba looks up her, he sees her clearly anxious expression. Khokenri buries her face in Jou's shoulder, kaiba tries to make sense of what the woman said, but can translate as much as 'khikenris mother went'. He closes his eyes irritatedly, he presses his fingers to his temple.

" where did she go?"

"west."

Kaiba turns to look at Jou confused.

"how do you know that?"

" wen, its west- right?"

She nods without lifting her face up from Jous neck.

" why did she do that?..."

He turns to the high up woman.

"ektu ragen heet en toku ?"

She doesn't speak as the other woman glares in her direction, she only nods vigorously at Kaiba. He gives a slightly satisfied huff turning to walk back the way they came.

" I guess we'll try again later, she's supposed to come back soon."

The infuriated woman behind him bristles, her feathers rustling in place before she lunges forward her long claws extended and splayed out. Before Jou can react Kaiba has turned to face her, one hand whips to twist hers backward, forcing her down to the ground on her knees. She hisses and shrieks at him threatening a thousand painful deaths in her foreign tongue, others lean out of their respective nests to see what she will do. They are all beyond taken aback when Kaiba inhales deeply and belts a roar that sounds like something prehistoric, the woman on her knees gapes at his mouth filled with a thousand needle thin teeth. He snarls at her, dropping her wrists. She hits the floor horrified, she gives a loud shriek before tripping over herself in her haste to jump and fly far far away. Satisfied with her response Kaiba works his jaw until his teeth stop grinding over each other. He flicks the tip of his tongue along the smooth edge of his perfectly aligned human teeth. He can feel the intensity of the others watching him, looking over Jous shoulder he sees Khokenri staring at him wearing a mildly amused expression. With a loud huff Kaiba places one hand beneath his bulging belly and begins the long walk back to the car, Jounouchi in tow.


	25. and the world is new

Ch 25

and the world is new

It has been almost a month since Seth made himself known, the Pharoh that stepped in after Atem's reign. The great priest that had served him with his every waking breath. Hundreds of things have attempted to make their way towards the house, Seth bats them away like a nuisance mosquito buzzing in his ear. The traffic of these creatures has slowed, to almost a standstill, leaving them with a day like today, where there are few noises other than the maids and butlers tending to the house. Seth stands in a hallway closely examining a portrait of Seto as a child, the way his eyes have such a cold focus, the familiar expression. He turns to look to his right, down the hall he finds mokuba paused mid stride, staring at him like he always does. With curious analytical eyes, that always focus and lock on him.

" what is it you want child."

"do you want to see other pictures of nii chan?"

"..."

He gives a curt nod and follows Mokuba down the hallway up the stairs and off to Mokubas bedroom. Mokuba motions to a rolling chair by his writing desk as he reaches into his closet for a box he doesn't bring out much anymore. He pops off the lid smiling at a collection of small photo albums, he hands the box to Seth with a wide grin as he picks up one of the oldest albums. Set picks up the topmost album , he blinks as he finds still frames taken from security videos. Blurred images of kaiba leaping off a helicopter and running across rooftops- even one of him leaping out a window. He flips again to find several advertising and promotional images clipped out from magazines and tucked away in the clear pages. He flips to find another picture this time of Kaiba standing beside Mokuba who holds out a giant gold pair of scissors over a bright red ribbon. As he flips through pages and books he finds the images becoming more personal and more recent. Until he finds an image of Kaiba sitting down beside Jou, looking mildly pleased with himself.

"who is this?"

He taps his finger beside Jounouchis face, a striking resemblance to the servant he keeps always close at hand. Mokuba leans over and smiles brightly.

" That's Jounouchi! He's the one who Nii chan is in love with- he's the one taking care of nii chan right now."

" he is the...father of the children?"

" yep and he's gonna be a great dad- he's real strong and loyal and real nice too."

Mokuba smirks as he makes note of the slightly confused expression on Seth's face. The familiar sound of small knuckle's rapping softly at the open door announces Jono the slaves return to Seths side. He folds his hands over his stomach as they look at him, before speaking he gives a steep bow to both Seth and Mokuba.

" lunch is ready, would you like it brought to you or will you take it in the dining room."

" I will eat here."

"mine too please."

This Jo is very different from the Jou that Mokuba has become so fond of over the years. He is not unpleasant, extremely different in that he obeys without command, makes a point of using proper etiquette and remains silent unless spoken to. He wonders to himself if the relationship between these two is similar to the one his brother has with Jou, the only thing he knows is that Seth harbors some form of attachment to his slave. Maybe he'll ask...maybe. Jono backs out of the room with a deep bow and walks off down the hall silent as a shadow, so as not to bother Seth.

They wake to an ear shattering shriek, Jou leaps out of bed and rushes down the hall tearing open Khokenris bedroom door. Kaiba screams out in pain, the sound blaring in his too sensitive ears, he claps his hands over his ears and struggles to get up. Khokenri sits up in bed looking bewildered, the sound stops, followed by a heavy thudding on the rooftop. He looks at her confused, then up at the ceiling, the heavy sound travels and disappears until a heavy thumping can be heard on their living room windows and door. She throws the blankets off her healed legs, both now perfectly healed as she rushes down the stairs with Jou. Kaiba huffs heavily, his head spinning from the sound, he decides to get up slowly. With one hand he cradles his burgeoning belly and with the other he braces himself against the wall. He follows the trail his hand follows as his the floor appears to be a good distance away. He blinks repeatedly trying to clear his vision of its folly all the way out of the room. He can hear Khokenri, she sounds fine, flustered but otherwise fine.

Jou hears a soft scraping noise coming from somewhere behind him, he looks back and spots Kaiba trying to get down the stairs. He bolts back up the stairs and carefully helps Kaiba down the currently tricky steps, he sets him down on the couch before moving for the door. Khokenri stands beside him all her long nails extended and ready. Jou slowly opens the door and gasps when he spots a woman. She is tall slender but firm and beautiful, her hair is long sleek and multi-faceted shades of black and blue. Her wonderfully wide jungle green eyes focus immediately on Jou, her full lips press down to a thin line he watches the way her brow furrows. What did she expect? She has a thick fluttery shawl wrapped around herself, it halts as it nears her knees, from there down she is bare. With milky white skin on shapely legs and small petite uncovered feet.

"mother..."

Khokenri stares at the woman she hasn't seen in almost a month and a half, the woman looks back in mild confusion at first then blooming pride. Khokenris time with these humans did not go to waste, she learned to take control of her shape shifting ability with kaibas guidance. In this form she has a round button like nose, similar to Jous, glowing blue eyes like Kaiba, short choppy black hair. Both her hands and feet appear as completely human, and with the ladylike features of being small and soft. Her small figure is slim and lean, her tender limbs concealing strong ropey muscle. Although she has not learned to reshape her teeth, she no longer speaks with clicks between each syllable.

" why are you here my little one."

Less a question so much as a command to be answered, Khokenri blinks at her interested in the face she see's.

" I didn't want to die."

The woman looks from Khokenri to Jou who who peers at her as if he can't quite see her properly. She returns the expression for a moment, before finding herself irritated with a memory she can't quite grasp. She moves to speak but find her silky voice over powered by a cross between a scream and a roar, both jou and kho whip around to see kaiba panting on the couch.

"JOU!"

"shit"

He rushes forward and tucks one arms beneath Kaibas knees the other around his back, Kaiba throws one arm over Jou's shoulders the other still on his stomach. He shouts over his shoulder to khokenri who appears frozen in place.

" Kho go get the bed set up QUICK! And grab the towels... we need water water lots of fricking water-"

The woman at the door watches as her daughter runs to the foot of the stairs and leaps up the full flight. Jou walks up the stairs slowly and carefully while Kaiba huffs pants and swallows down the louder noises. By the time he makes it back upstairs the bed has been stripped and remade with layers of thick white sheets, two stone bowls on either side of the headboard filled with lumps of herbs smoking on the center. Khokenri yanks the windows shut and leaves the curtains open to trap the smoke and keep the tranquil view that Kaiba loves so much. She skirts past Jou and out the door to collect the needed water. She leaps down the stairs and shoves past her mother who looks at her in bewilderment, Khokenri pops open the cars trunk and pulls out a pile of soft blankets along with a blue plastic infants tub. She rushes back inside as if the woman wasn't even there, once back inside she finds Jou flipping through the heavily scribbled in composition notebook, apparently written by a woman called Deardra. Jou fans the smoke gently toward Kaiba who inhales deeply, the strange odor slowly calming him. She sets the blankets down on the top of the dresser and stares at Jou for who waves her over to him.

" are you ready for this?"

He looks at her nervously she smiles back.

" I know you guys are... wheres that music box..."

She turns around and searches for any item she knows to calm his nerves. Cognac slips into the room and steps up onto the bed where Kaiba fists his hands in the blankets, Just she begins to crawl up toward Kaibas face she finds herself snatched up and set outside the door. She turns around to find the door shut behind her.

"mow-"

"oh no you don't, now is not the time for all that nonsense."

Khokenri quickly scoops up the massive cat carrying it to front door where her mother stands looking at her with mild interest.

"here hold this"

She drops Cognac into her mothers arms, the expression is beyond priceless. Horror disgust and fury all wrapped in one, she glares at her daughter who turns to go back inside.

" you don't actually expect me to hold this monster!?"

" shes a basically a furry pillow- she doesn't do much and yes I do."

Half an hour later the woman sits on the couch idly petting the cat that doesn't seem to want her anywhere else. She glances at the top of the stairs where she spots her daughter carrying the plastic tub, now heavy with water down the hall. In her mind she wonders if she should pleased or upset with this situation. Humans... this pair is very odd. And the male seemed so familiar.. come to think of it. She sniffs the air curiously for a moment then stares down at the cat draped over her lap and most of the couch. She blinks curiously wondering why she can't smell any female hormones, aside from the cat and her child... although she does smell more than one cat. Sage...sweat she decides to interrogate the male thoroughly after all this.

Upstairs Kaiba huffs and screams through clenched teeth, his knees raised up and open, he can feel jous hands on his knees, kneading tense muscle. Kaiba fists his hands in the sheets, desperately wishing for it to be over already.

" Oh gahd I can't do this."

"yes you can, your doing so good"

Khokenri steps forward and wraps her hand around kaibas, allowing him to squeeze her hand though the intense pain.

" you can do this! Your so strong I know you can!"

He can feel her hand squeezing his back, laying back on the pillow he tries to focus on Jous voice.

" you have to breathe okay, breathe deep alright."

Kaiba huffs, trying to inhale, he takes long breathes exhaling in a choppy pattern.

"ahh!"

He feels a distinct weight dropping into the lower portion of his stomach, he props himself up on his elbows.

" nnngghh"

Khokenri feels him drop her hand, he returns to fisting the sheets, she bolts over to where the tub of lukewarm water is along with a few cleaning cloths and the blankets. Kaiba huffs and holds his breath as he finally gives a good long push. After almost a minute he lets out the breath in several huffs, inhaling deeply he pushes again.

Downstairs the woman petting cognac wonders idly why it is that human labor takes quite so long. She remember laying khokenris egg, a grand total of twenty minutes work, and there had been four eggs. She inwardly huffs at how strange and inefficient humans are. Thirty minutes later she finds herself gawking at the top of the stairs where that blood curdling shrieking roar comes from, she stares as she grips the large cat to her chest, cognac only grunts her discomfort.

Upstairs Kaiba has completely lost his human shape, he reaches over his head with his long arms, gripping the heard board. Jou stays lodged between his legs, reentering the room is khokenri with the blue plastic tub, now filled with warm water, as it had become ice cold in the long wait.

" c'mon one more push! I can see em! Were almost there!"

Kaiba lets go of the headboard and shoves himself into almost a sitting position, leaning forward as he pushes. He lets out another long screaming roar, hot tears burning down his face. He collapses backward grinning like a lunatic when he hears a soft mewling cry. Jou grins as lifts up an infant that fits perfectly in both his hands.

" oh ,u god, babe- she's so tiny.."

" a girl.."

He passes the new girl off to Khokenri who smiles while washes her up, she fold the clothe diaper around the new baby, then swaddles her in a pastel blanket and sets her in one of he bassinets. Kaiba huffs feeling another shift, Jou looks over to Kaiba and his yellow eyes.

"ready- push!"

Its only minutes this time before another one is passed off to Kho, a boy. The one that follows a girl, another boy and the final one, appears to be female. Afterward Kaiba collapses back onto the bed, he smiles as he watches Jou carry over one of them, however he blacks out before he can see the fruit of all his effort. Jou sits down on the edge of the bed, looking at the firstborn, shes miniscule, only about a pound and a half. Although her body is soft and pudgy, her face and body covered with light brown peach fuzz.

"Hey there"

He grins when he sees glowing yellow eyes looking blearily about. He places her down in her bassinet and looks at the others, he snickers to himself when he spots two with fuzz the color of sunflowers. All with small pointed ears and small thin little tails, kittens indeed.

"hey kho,"

"yea?"

She tosses the bloody cloths into the pink tinted water as she looks over to jou. Kho grins to herself as she watches Jou cradling the last born.

"they're gonna be hungry, can you bring up their milk?"

"mmhhmm."

The woman blinks curiously as she watches her daughter come down the stairs, looking deeply tired and wet up to her elbows.

" is it a good one?"

"there are five of them! They're so tiny what beautiful little kittens!"


	26. the big news

ch26

The big news

She jerks her head back at the comment and watches as her daughter opens a cupboard full of large cans of powdered formula and another cupboard filled with small bottles.

"kittens..."

Kho begins pouring water into the bottles from a pink gallon jug labeled 'nursery water'.

" yea. Kittens, warrens have kittens you know."

The woman's eyes go wide in horror, she wants to snatch her daughter and run the hell away. She doesn't. She simply watches her daughter measure tiny scoops of powder into the various colored bottles before shaking them almost violently.

" they are... the werecats?"

"only Kaiba is, and now the babies- but Jou is human."

"thats unusual..."

"that's why they came out here, I guess someone didn't like the idea of mixed blood and wanted to make sure the babies weren't born. So they ran here."

" and you... they didn't hurt you?"

" nope, they found me when I got stuck in a bear trap and have been taking care of me since then. I'll be right back."

She carries the armload of milk bottles up stairs to Jou, he looks slightly flustered as he lifts the soiled sheets off the corner of the mattress. He looks to Kho and sighs.

" can't let him sleep in this mess,do you mind?"

In a slight hurry she sets the bottles down on top of the dresser before running into the closet for clean sheets. Jou lifts Kaibas sleeping form up off the bed and out to the bathroom while Kho strips the bed and lays down fresh clean sheets. She cant help but grin at the soft chorus of mewling that wafts throughout the room. Jou returns a moment later, assisting Kaiba as he walks back into the room wearing a long soft robe, he looks toward the sound and gives a weak smile. Kho fluffs a pile of pillows and sets them against the head board, so Kaiba can sit upright. He allows Jou to lower him down to the bed, and then to pull the blanket up over his lap. Jounouchi grins as he walks over to the small bassinet containing a small wriggling boy now whining with small high cries and clenched fists. Jou picks him up and carries him over to Kaiba grabbing a bottle off the dresser as he walks over to Kaiba. He reaches out to take the infinitesimally small child from Jous hands, a small clear bottle in the other hand.

" your name is Akira."

Jou grins at Kaiba while sits down feeding one of the boys, Jou picks up a girl in one hand another bottle with the other and sits down beside Kaiba. Kaiba smiles at the girl that bats at the bottle while she drinks from it,idly pawing at Jous thumb.

Its almost a week later that Seth looks up at the sky and sees large black bird flying with purpose toward the estate. He blinks at it curiously wondering if he should be worried, he decide to allow it to land. He staggers backward in shock when it twists in the air its body contorting and extending until it resembles something human, more so when it takes a few steps forward. The girls wings thin out and flatten, wrapping around her nude form. She leans down and unties a red string from around her ankle, attached to which is thick heavy yellow envelope. She smiles and look directly at Seth.

" Are you Mokuba?"

"no... what business have you with him?"

" I have a letter for him from his brother."

" you have spoke with Seto Kaiba?"

" yes I have, I live with him at the moment."

"stay here, I will retrieve him."

She does as told, tapping the ground with her bare toes in boredom before she begins tossing the heavy envelope from one hand to the other. Mokuba bursts out the patio doors panting heavily, having halfway across the house. He stares at her intensely, regarding her carefully. She just waves at him rather cheerfully.

" whats it you want?"

Kho tilts her head to one side curiously.

"didn't the other one tell you? I have a letter from your brother, you are Mokuba yes?"

" I am"

She holds out the envelope to him with one outstretched hand, the other hidden underneath her strange garb. Mokuba reaches forward, quickly snatching the letter from her then backing away. She walks over to a stone bench and sits down, crossing her knees. He carefully opens the letter, aiming the opening away from himself, nothing happens. He glances over to her, then walks over to a nearby table where he spills the contents of the envelope. A light breeze almost taking away his brothers written words, Mokuba quickly grabs it before it can be off and away. Aside from the paper are a stack of pictures taken with an old polaroid camera, all with scribbling on the back. He doesn't look at them right away, he flips open the page and grins, it is from his brother.

" mokuba, and everyone else.

We would have written sooner but we've been rather busy, with the new babies and all. That's right, their here! They're a whole two weeks old and theres two boys and three girls, we think. Haruka, Kaiba says her pheromones smell like a boys, but she looks like a girl to me. We made sure to take a lot of picture of them all. We named them all finally, it took awhile to agree on all of them. They're called Akira, Haruka, Suna, Mako and Sakuya. Pretty huh? By the way the delivery girl is called khokenri, shes a harpy from the nesting ground thats nearby, or a siren I forget. But anyway its a long way there so let her rest for the night okay? Be nice and we'll send more when we can alright

love

Katsuya & Seto

Mokuba quickly picks up the stack of photos, he grins widely at the first image. It is a picture of all five infants sleeping in the crib Mai gave them, various dolls and blankets around the edge of the bumper. Still grinning like a maniac, he looks over to the girl waltzing up to her and wrapper her up in a tight hug.

"thank you SOO MUCH!"

"air air please air"

He whips himself away from her and wipes his face before he can cry. Turning round he bolts for the door, freezing midway through and shouting over his shoulder.

" hey come in hurry!"

She up and runs after him following him through a path she could never backtrack. Eventually he runs out to the sitting room where he finds almost ever member of the house idly mulling about. Jono stands beside Seth, who sits in a wing backed armchair across from Deardra in her own chair, Malik and Ishizu look up to Mokuba expectantly from their place on a small off white couch . Leaning against the window sill Bakura silences his conversation with Atem to eye the curious looking girl on Mokubas tail.

" all five where born! They where born two weeks ago! They sent pictures too- they're all so tiny!"

He flails the fist that holds the slightly rumpling paper, then runs down the stairs over to Deardra shoving the pictures in her hands. The whole room converges in on her, everyone leaving their various spots in the room to peek over her shoulder, aside from Seth and his slave, who appear perfectly content to listen and wait. She woman smiles at the first image, She passes it to Atem who is directly behind her as she looks at the pictures before passing them back she talks out loud.

"oh my, these ones are quite big,oh my how strong your brother is."

" they're all the same size as a damn orange!"

Its Malik who says it even though he grins widely at the picture in his hand, he passes it back to his sister. Deardra stares at the last picture for a moment, Jou and kaiba sitting together each holding one baby while the other three lay in their laps.

"they are a significant amount larger than a normal litter... but they all appear quite healthy..."

Mokuba hears her not finishing her sentence and worries, Atem voices his curiosity as Ishizu carries the pictures over to Seth.

" what is the customary size for infants of your people?"

Deardra examines the picture closely paying special attention to Haruka.

" about the size of a stick of butter...its part of why most of them don't survive, but these ones...so very pudgy."

"really? A stick of butter?"

Mokuba leans over and looks at the picture, she taps the tip of her finger against Harukas face.

"That one... is a hermaphrodite."

"huh?

"what"

"wha!?"

"no way"

Ishizu takes the picture that Deardra sets down, looking at it curiously before handing it to Seth, who looks only mildly interested. Mokuba looks at her inquisitively before asking.

"how can you tell?"

She looks at him with a warning expression on her face.

"do you really want to know?"

He lowers one eyebrow as he carefully weighs that question, his answer cutoff when Bakura asks.

" so who's your friend?

Standing at the foot of the stairs is Khokenri looking around the room curiously, she waves in Bakuras direction. Mokuba looks over to her as if he forgot that she existed, he hands Atem the letter that came with the pictures before strolling over to her and introducing her to the room at large.

After dinner, Kho helps Mokuba place the pictures into a multi photo frame. She then watches him hang it out in the sitting room near the many photos of himself.

" Its nice to finally see another face in here."

When she doesn't answer Mokuba turns to find her glaring out the large window. He stands beside her following her line of sight, but sees nothing. Her sharper crisper vision spots warren in the distance, hiding in the jumbles branches of a tall tree.

"whats up? Is something wrong?"

" someone is watching... I cant tell how long they've been there."

"It doesn't matter they wont come in as long as seth is here... and wow you must have really good eyesight."

" I'm a bird."

He coughs trying to cover up the fact that he feels rather stupid.

" let me show you the guest rooms."

Across town Helios slams down the receiver to the phone, he hums to himself as he drums his fingers on the surface of his desk. Stalking his way out of the room he tries to calm himself he debates on what steps to make next. He goes over the binding laws of his clan... of what Moonlace would have warned them of. A child of outside blood must survive to three years old before it can be considered as part of the clan. By now killing them before they are born is no longer an option, now he must kill the infants or at least prevent them from reaching the Kaiba estate... Kaiba himself needs to drop for having debased himself with that mongrel human. Needless to say the human has to go as well, he looks out the window eying the giant KC logo that towers over the city. He wonders what it would look like set ablaze...he quirks an eyebrow. Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest.

A/n: heey peeps, or you know just peep whatever. i was curious as to what you think about khokenri. i know shes kind of random but i like adding original characters because i like orginial writing. just curious about what you think so far


	27. let me look at you

Ch 27

let me look at you

In the misty hours of the morning Khokenri stares out at the sky, for the first time in her life seeing the cities skyline. A knock at her door drags her from her thoughts, she turns to see mokuba pushing the door open and letting himself in.

" you alright? Did you sleep well?"

He watches her gaze return to the lights in the distance, her look of awe and confusion.

" wonderfully thank you."

"...?"

" it is a lovely home, I have never seen such a place. I...never could have imagined such a palace existed in the world."

Mokuba blinks and jerks his head back in confusion and slight embarrassment.

" palace? Oh its not that big, there bigger places around...just not in domino."

She turns to look at him, her shoulders and body still facing the open window. He muses to himself that she look a bit like an own like that.

" I was raised in nest. It was the best because it was highest up."

"it must have had a nice view"

" yea, until I fell out."

"um... how a bout breakfast."

After breakfast yugi mokuba bakura honda otogi mokuba seth and jono all watch as she runs across the rooftop . Her arms open wide her fingers extending to become the base of her wings, she leaps off the edge falling from sight for only a moment. Mokuba gasps out loud when a massive black bird barrel rolls straight up and becomes a dark blot in the morning sky. Seth blinks as he watches her fade out of sight.

" what a strange messenger."

With that he and Jono walk off back inside, Otogi grinning as he stares at mokuba who is still looking up at the sky where khokenri vanished out of sight. Yugi blinks with a great wide smile.

" well at least we know there's someone there helping them take care of the new babies, oooh I wanna go look at the pictures again."

Seto smiles as he cradles Haruka in his palm, bottle feeding her while Jou makes sure the others are sleeping soundly. only one rustles awake, Akira. He wriggles and mewls until Jou reaches down and scoops him up, jou grins as he watches the small ball of warmth still and returns to sleep against his chest. It is hours later that they find khokenri walking out of her bedroom door pulling down the hem of a short sleeve purple dress with the outlines of white flowers drawn all over. She moves over to the doorway peeking into the nursery smiling at them all.

" I have good news for you."

She says this staring directly at kaiba who blinks at her slightly confused.

" ?"

" the one called deardra is very proud of you. She says you are very strong and that they're much larger than usual. Thats a good thing cause it means that their more likely to live, she also said that haruka isn't a girl shes hermaphrodite."

Jou and Kaiba both blink and look over to the bassinet Haruka currently sleeps in, Jou arcs an eyebrow at her.

" how could she tell?"

" she wouldn't say- but any way she also wanted me to tell you that shes very proud of your for hunting- and that shes going to be mulling things over to come up with a fitting name for you."

Kaiba looks over to khokenri from his place in the rocking chair.

" a name?"

"yep, she said it was important."

" oh right, I forgot about that."

Bakura blinks in confusion curious as to if what he's seeing is real. Of all the cheap tricks in the book, this one really? A beer bottle soars over his head a rag hanging out of the mouth, bright red flames following it until it lands smashing against the wall. As the bottle shatters the liquid splatters across the white surface of the wall quickly igniting, its followed by another then another and another. He blinks and turns around to look over and see what part of the wall its coming from. As he locates one source he hears another bottle shatter from somewhere else. Quickly turning around he finds honda running out from the patio, he looks around and searches for the garden hose. Bakura runs toward the wall and jumps over, snarling when he finds what looks like an angry teenage girl pitching a few bottles. She screeches at him, throwing a bottle directly at him- he dodges it. He only hesitates when he notices the way her nails seem to extend. Dammit how many of these things are there!?

Seth and Jono lean out of their bedrooms balcony, his eye follow the arc of a bottle back to its owner. He aim his rod and closes his eyes searching out a consciousness, he locates it and quickly over takes it. With a flick of his wrist the unseen hoodlum suddenly decides to become hostile with his cohorts, finding them and smashing their heads in with a bottle stabbing them when it finally breaks. Yugi and otogi watch as flames eat lick the walls, eating the wallpaper and consuming the drapes. Asuka runs in with a yellow mop bucket throwing the water at the growing fire. Another maid rushes by taking vase full to another fire.

A cheap trick indeed, but it doesn't really matter as long it works. Asuka glares at the flames then looks around she darts away dragging yugi with her, to a guest room. She barges in the empty bathroom

and turns on the tub faucet, she hands yugi her bucket and quickly yanks another out from under the sink. Yugi takes the heavy bucket and scurries quick as he can to the roaring fire throwing the water at it and running past Asuka. She splashes her bucket full at the fire and shoves the bucket into otogis hands, them shoves him in yugis direction. She darts away down the hall to a maintenance closet yanks the bright red fire extinguisher of the wall.

Bakura climbs back over the wall and stares in shock at the estate, he rushes over around the house and back to the garden where he spots honda with a hose trying to put out a fire roars out a window. He huffs and looks around angrily until he spots another coiled up around a spicket near the green house. Deardra runs around throwing wet towels and blankets on smaller fires, she soaks pillows in tubs and flings them into the fire, blotting it out bit by bit. Seth watches her frenzy about, he looks to jono and shoos him away. His slave darts after her moving along throwing wet pillows at the fires while she scurries about for more pillows and blankets to soak.

It feels as if hours have passed by the time they extinguish every fire in the place, however its only been about forty five minutes. The damage is far from as bad is could be, however it is still heavily damaged. Much more of the estate resembling the desolate hallways void of portraits and littered with smoke damage.

Asuka stands with her hands curled into fists that shake at her sides as she leers around assessing the damage, she clenches her eyes shut and grits her teeth. Atem looks at her, keeping a slight distance, he along with every one else can feel waves or fury radiating off of her. She steps along the charred halls, her footstep deliberate and heavy. She unfurls one fist, and snaps her fingers, two of the other maids dart forward.

"yes ma'am?"

" this... it will not do, we will clean up the damage and we must still ready the childrens rooms... also who was in charge of security- where is Isono?"

Three weeks later

Kaiba huffs as he shakes another bottle of milk in a very small pink plastic bottle, covered with pictures of happy little frogs. He walks over to the only one awake and whining, Akira. He cries and angrily waves his tiny little fists, his voice in small and rather high pitched, like the others the sound doesn't travel very far. The fact leaves both Kaiba and Jou almost perpetually nervous about leaving the nursery for any length of time. So Kaiba settles to spend the majority of the day cooped up in the room with them, he switches places with Jou during dinner and various other times. Khokenri pops in to bring up milk bottles and take used ones down for washing, she sits to help with feeding and changing when she isn't down stairs assisting with their garden or helping Jou go hunting.

He lifts up Akira and places him in the bend of his left arm before offering the bottle, which is quickly taken. While Kaiba sits in the rocking chair he hums softly a song he doesn't remember learning. As he does, he feels cognac rub against his ankles before laying across his feet and watching him. Small hands tug on the front of his shirt while bright yellow eyes stare up at him, completely focused on his face.

Kaiba smirks when he hears the click of a camera lens, he looks to the door and finds Jou grinning as he looks at the developing polaroid before stepping in.

" hey love."

" suya what are you doing?"

" I found a bunch of sheep across the lake. So I got dinner and now I was wondering what you where up to."

" sheep? Do those belong to someone?"

" were the only ones out this far."

"...are you sure?"

"yep, kho flew over and did a check."

Jou leans over and looks at Akira who's gaze doesn't waver, still staring quite intensely at Kaibas face.

" does he even know I'm here?"

" who'd wanna look at you when I'm here?"

Kaiba says with a lopsided smirk, Jou just snorts.

"gimme my baby"

Jou reaches down scooping Akira up, he looks only mildly bothered by the shift, satisfied when his bottle is placed back in his mouth. Jou snorts again when he watches Akira shut his eyes while he continues sucking at the bottle. He hears the camera go off again, finding Kaiba smirking as he shakes the little plastic picture.

Six months later

Mokuba stares out the balcony waiting for familiar dark blot in the sky to swoop down. Hes been awake for hours, having marked the calendar for the monthly visit from the weird bird girl that brings news of his brother and nieces and nephews. He goes back inside after turning the heavy deadbolt in place, he wanders down the hall to the sitting room. As he flicks on the light he grins at the many pictures he had framed and placed about the room. Six months have gone by and on the first Sunday of every month Khokenri comes with a letter and a pile of pictures, she flies back with a stack of return letters from various inhabitants of the house. People that have pretty much been living here in their absence, Atem brings yugi, Bakura and his yami, Malik and Ishizu stay there as if they live there. Honda and otogi come and go, Seth and his slave remain as if it where they belong.

Looking at the walls Mokuba smiles at the one infant with stark black hair, looking so much like his uncle. Mako, his eyes have begun to change color in the last letter, the small pictures showing him with eyes that where beginning to turn stormy gray from lemony yellow. Harukas eyes are slowly transitioning from yellow to blue, a funny ring of green in the center. The others still with neon yellow eyes in every picture. He can hear a distant tapping echoing from down the hall, grinning from ear to ear he bolts out the room down the hall and to the patio door where Khokenri stands in usual 'shawl' holding a thicker than usual letter. Quickly Mokuba flips the deadbolt and yanks her in before shutting and locking the door. She laughs in her funny chirping way before handing him the envelope and wandering off to the kitchen. He tears open the top of the envelope before letting his feet carry him back to the sitting room all laden with framed picture from the previous letters. On the very top is a picture of Suna with his tufts of blonde hair sticking out from underneath a bowl of spaghetti the contents of which slide down his chubby cheeks all fluffed with his ear to smile.

In the back ground he hears a something like a heavy clang. He doesn't bother to put the pictures down as he leaves the room to investigate the noise. In the kitchen Kho holds a small soup pot against her chest and stares at a small pile of other pots and pans slowly skidding across the tile floor.

" they where stacked up real weird..."

"whatever, look how big they got!"

This visit passes exactly as the others have, with every member of the house clustering to look at the pictures and read about their progress. Deardra gives a advice on what their current state of health appears to be, and how proud she is, by the time is finished every one is hurried off to dining room for dinner. After dinner Kho helps Mokuba frame the pictures and then they loaf about playing games before she lays down in the room that they gave her. In the morning Mokuba wakes up to see her off and stare at the spot of sky where she disappeared from sight.

A difference between this visit and the others is the nimble cat boy with his eyes locked on her. From his place on the ground he bolts after her at break neck speed, he keeps his body nearer to larger objects so as to avoid being seen by her clear sight. It is several hours later that he lays high up in a tree with his chest heaving as he watches he touch down on the slanted roof of a house in the middle of a deep wood. In front of the house he sees small chubby looking children splashing about in the little stream that babbles by, he eyes them closely curious as to what it is about them that is so distressing. There beside the stream is a tall slender man with chocolate brown hair curving at his shoulders as he dips his hands in the water and flicks small droplets of cool water at his children. A loud peel of laughter can be heard bright and clear even from so great a distance. Off to the side he hears the rhythmic thudding of an ax slamming down on rings of wood, holding the ax is a blonde man with broad shoulders and strong hands kicking the fire wood off int a pile and stacking up a new piece. The cat boy in the tree feels a cold chill ripple up his spine, looking around he spots a small pair of eyes staring directly at him from a window upstairs. A large cat in the sill just sitting there with its long tail flicking agitatedly back and forth as though it where distressed. He hisses angrily at the very distant creature before jumping down the tree and beginning a leisurely trek home.

A/N oh my gawd im so sorry about the wait but we moooved! finally im no longer living in my sister in laws place. its a tiny apt but its OURS! im already working on the next ch so dont worry it wont be as long a wait for the next one thank you lovlies for being so patient


	28. blood moon final chapter

I am sorry to inform you that due Toa crippling virus I had to reboot my laptop. All of any fix I have ever written and notposted are now just gone. For some reason so is my word processor. Iamso sorry but I had the last chapter almost completed. And now I just don't have it in me to do the whole thing over. I'm so sorry about this. But ill be starting anew fix as soon as I get a new processor.


	29. the wait

Ch 28  
The wait

One year passed then two and now Mokuba grins absolutely beside himself with glee as he announces to the inhabitants of the estate that in four weeks it will be the children's birthday that day they will be arriving home. Mokuba now a tall lanky fifteen year old finds himself feeling like a toddler discovering ice cream. Deardra sighs with relief, Ishizu places her hands over her mouth silently praying thanks to various gods. A general cheer rings out, dinner tonight will a large one to celebrate. In a corner of the room Asuka wipes away moisture from the corner of her eyes as she smiles and laughs, over joyed to finally have her master back. Seth finds himself intrigued and highly interested in meeting this person from all the pictures that looks so much like himself.

The time passes in a blur of last minute preps of the Children's room, security deciding to amp up and Mai deciding to drive down to their place and help bring up the children. Multicolored streamers find their way across the massive ball room along with a massive sign hanging down from the center of the room, one one side it reads 'happy birthday', on the other 'welcome home'. Long tables get covered with multicolored table cloths and bunches of balloons. On several tables are piles and piles of boxes and bags of presents, both for the children and their parents.

Khokenri grins as she sits on the hood of the car Mai has parked in her driveway, Mai gives a hug before hopping into the drivers seat and watching as Kho jumps off her hood and flies away. For the first time ever the black dot doesn't doesn't disappear into the sky, she flies low and follows a road occasionally circling to make sure Mai is on her tail.

Almost a day and a half of driving later Mai parks in front of a small house in the middle of damn near nowhere. She hears bright laughter spilling out the windows and spies Kaiba through one of the windows lifting up one of the children into the air as they break into peels of laughter. She smiles meekly, feeling slightly as if shes seen something she shouldn't have. Walking over to the door, just as she raises her hand to knock the door is violently yanked open, Khokenri grinning widely before pulling Mai in excitedly. Looking around she sees two familiar storm trunks packed along with several newly acquired suitcases. Jou strolls down stairs spotting her quickly.

" Mai!"

She whips around to look at Jou who quickly wraps his arms around her in a tight hug. She reciprocates his motions happy to received so warmly.

" oh! You have gotten … bigger."

She breaks away from the embrace and prods his shoulder before peeking around him spotting a small girl looking at from behind the banister. Mai gives a small wave at her.

" hi, I'm Mai, whats your name sweetie?"

" sah- koo-ya"

Mai smiles widely at the girl who grins at her showing off her many tiny little square teeth. Sakuya stands at the top the stairs raising up her arms and shouting.

"papa!"

Jou turns around to walk up the stairs and pick her up, she sits on his hip as he carries her back down the stairs over to Mai.

" This, is your auntie Mai, say hi to her."

Sakuya wriggles in her place as she reaches out for Mai to pick her up. Mai reaches out nervously picking her and holding her up against her own wide hip, mimicking Jou. Sakuya places one open palm against Mai's cleavage and presses down, then breaks into a fit of hysterical giggles.

" SKWASHY!"

Mais face flushes bright red, Jou snorts stifling his own laugh before heading back upstairs and calling out behind him.

" can you watch her for a minute? I gotta help get the other ones ready!"

Mai looks up bewildered while Sakuya begins pawing at her curly blonde hair.

" huh!?"

After a few moments of letting sakuya twist her hair about into loose tangles she calls 'breeds' a loud splashing clatter can be heard from upstairs. Then suddenly a small pudgy baby with a head full of wet blond hair runs by the visible part of the hallway stark naked. Immediately afterward Jou runs after him chasing him with an open towel and shouting.

" get back here you you little brat!"

"RAAAWWWRRRRR!"

"gotcha!"

A moment later Mai watches as Jou strolls back down the hallway his arm clamped around the towel clad boy that wriggles and flails for freedom all the while roaring as if he firmly believed he was a dinosaur.

" suna! You need clothes!"

"NOOOOOOOO!"

About a half hour later Mai finds her self nervously watching as Sakuya and the boy called Suna wrestling fiercely for no discernible reason. Akira and mako roll a bright red ball back and forth in front of the couch, as throwing the thing is not allowed inside the house. nervously mai watches suna and sakuya continue thier minature brawl, until cognac lazily strolls over to the pair and lays down on top of them. it would appear as though this where a common solution, neither of the children cry or whine, they just stare angrily at the ceiling. Jou grins as he walks down the stairs carrying a large dark blue suitcase.

" I'm gonna start packing up the cars, seto is almost done with haruka."

Mai just nods over to him, she wonders vaguely if now would be a good time to get all those carseats out of the trunk. for some reason she finds herself glaring out the window as an unnatural chill slides up her spine. a moment later jou strolls back in and plucks up one of the black storm trunks taking outside to the waiting car. mai picks up akira and mako, placing them both in her lap and pulling sakuya and suna close to her. They find themselves trapped again as cognac settles down in front of them. a soft laugh can be heard from somewhere behind her, she turns in place to find kaiba with his hair pulled back into a loose braid that sits over his left shoulder. on his face is a light smile as he aska haruka if she is positive that she isn't hungry. Haruka sits on his hip with her small hands on his scoopnecked blue shirt. Her own hair is pinned down with glittering red barrettes while her hair is long glossy and styled, her clothes are boyish. denim jeans a red long sleeve shirt with a thin black stripes across it. her shoes are colorful sneakers with bright blue laces, mai raises as eyebrow as she makes a mental not as she looks at kaiba. his small slim physique is a bit off, as in his stomach is bit rounder than she remembers. curiously she wonders if he just gained a bit of weight or if hes pregnant again.

The thought flees her mind as those diomond eyes turn to acknowledge her, kaiba looks at her s if he might be surprised to see her.

" hello miss kujaku."

Mai finds herself taken aback at the polite hello, not at all what she is accustommed to. the one sitting on his hip looks at her curiously. mai waves from her place sitting on the floor to kaiba who for some reason is not all the mn she remembers. it is right then that Jou walks back in with a wide grin.  
" she even brought carseats for us to use! and everything is all packed up!"  
" I brought them for you guys to keep. what the hell would I do with even one carseat anyway?"  
Kaiba turns to say something , but just as he does a loud roar can be heard outside, this is accompanied by hysterical laughter. a shriek from upstairs catches their attention, khokenri is flung violently over the banister her body slamming into the back of the couch so hard the thing is slammed forward. it rams up against mai who wraps her arms around all four children and curls her body around them. Jou rushes over to kho who is already stumbling back onto her feet, her eye now limpid pools of oily black glare upward to the person at the top of the stairs.  
It is young, is almost a child, but something in its eyes voids the thought of childlike innocence. while the eyes themselves are the color of a jungle leaves, they hold no nope for life. the color is deadened inside. the eyes are wide and underlined with massive amounts of insomnia, the smile is sharp and ragged. Its small thin frame is decietful, it hides much strength beneath layers of patchy fur. kaiba hunches down beside mai, he sets haruka down with the others and allowa his shape to change. the image horrifies mai although she does not react. she simply pulls haruka into her arms as well. The children look at their 'mother' as if he is beautiful, a sight to behold. they love the thing with long lean ropey muscle, broad sharp shoulders, that triangular face and hundreds of long narrow teeth.  
kaiba jerks his head around in time to watch as two more pass by the window, these ones larger...older. Khokenri leers around the room, her arms raised up, claws open and extended, her hair stand ups stiffening becoming more pointed,her skin becomes a cold pale kind of gray.

" little bird dont you know the cat always wins?"

Its voice is an irritating high, filled with self importance as it walks lazily to the top of the stairs and leans against the banister. mai arcs an eyebrow at the you creature whose gender she cannot read before adding in.

"what you never heard of tweety?"

It glares sharply at her the sharklike grin quickly dashed from its ugly face. it stops heavily down the first few steps, pausing to glare furiously at her. its mouth is pressed tightly into a thin line that makes its lips look white.

" who the fuck cares what you have to say, didn't you know? whores aren't real people."

Mai glare sharply in return her intense fear buried somwhere beneath her indignce at this point. Kho snarls up her words falling between the clicks of her beak.

"what are you here for you little shit."

It redirects its gaze to kho, who has become herself again all feathers and fury. it rolls its eyes at her, irritated by the question.

"what do you think im here for? im going to eat those babies."

Kaiba belts out a roar that rattles the windows in their frames, knocks pictures off the walls and causes the thing on the stairwell to step back for a moment. no words needed in that threat, it glares down at kaiba.

"I've heard about you, no worries now your evenly matched. one mommy to another"

The sound of a nail dragging over the door causes kaiba to whip his head around to see another of his people. this one with her long jagged body all covered in thick black hair, so dull it almost looks gray. from the top of her head hangs much longer chunks of that hair, peering out from between her hanging bangs are wide colorless eyes that seem to only see kaiba. her thin lip curls into a snarl before she lunges forward slamming her whole body into kaibas. they tumble across the floor, a shriek can be heard from outside no one pays it any mind s it is quickly over whelmed by the sound of crying children.  
her eyes dart to the door where the suv she drove up here sits with its doors open and the keys dangling in the ignition. she swallows a scream when blood splatters across the floor kaiba is pinned beneath the other who holds his wrists in her vicelike hands. his blood pouring down from between her teeth. the couch slams up against her again as kho is tackled backward by the thing that stood on the stairs. khos shriek shatters windows causing the woman atop kaiba to flinch as she flattens her ears against her skull. the children are small, and mai is a tall woman. which means her arms are a bit longer than average. she quickly grips up the children and bolts for the car, as she drops them into the backseat haphazardly buckeling them in she doesn't see the other creature that walks slowly toward her. she slams the door shut and whips around to get to the drivers seat. instead she finds her self staring at a taller more muscular version of the woman that pinned kaiba.  
this one is obviously a male, he look at her with a strange glint, just as he opens his mouth to speak a loud hissing snrl erupts from behind him. cognac leaps up to his shoulders clawing violently at his face.  
Moving quickly mai darts to the driver side and slams the door before peeling out and flying through the path that she hopes she remembers. tears burn down her face , just as they do on the faces of each child in her back seat. all frightened and wanting their mother, their father. this was not the homecoming they had planned for. black cloud can be seen rising from the top of the forset behind the house. mai glances into the rearview mirror spotting the cloud, she gapes at it.  
wings. hundreds of angry things with long black wings.  
inside the house jou has tackeled the creture that had kaiba pinned, he knows better than to allow it to get a hold of him. from behind it he keeps his arm wrapped around its neck, the other hand gripping his own wrist. it attempts to roar but its throat is being pressed down on, closing its air supply. kaiba rolls to the side hacking and coughing before he reaches over to its outsretched arms and grips both its wrists. the sound of bones crunching benath his grip is heard and relished by kaiba as he watches her face contort with pain, just before jou is ripped out from behind her. He moves deftly taking jou by the back of his neck and slamming him down into the floor. repeatedly.  
kaiba shifts his hands,on on her sharp shoulder the other on her chin, which he grips and rips upward before dipping down and sinking his teeth into her thin neck. he bites down until he feels his teeth meeth her spine, where he presses hard and yanks his head backward. he does this before he drops her not paying attention to the way her blood spurts and spills across the floor as she desperately tries to stem her wound. her long skinny hands wildly trying to grip her own neck before they fall limp as her eyes glaze over. for a moment kaiba catches sight of kho standing on the little ones chest, the long talons on her feet digging deep into his ribcage. her sharp hands matching his strike for strike as he tries to pummel her off of him.

Before kaiba can reach Jou some thing crashes in therough the broken window, a large thing; a beautiful woman all painted with rage. khokenris mother she darts forwardripping the boy out from underneth kho, her claws dig into his neck as she heold him up to show the father.

" let go of that man."

The male stops in place before glaring at her and watching as his son bleeds out from his place dangling in her grip. jous body slams against the ground with a heavy thump, kaiba quickly darts forward grabbing jous shoulders and pulling him away, close to the door.

"give back my boy"

"no"

Her grip tightens , his eyes roll backward he desperately claws at her hands. just as the father leaps forward to stop her, more of them pile in through the window, fearlessly they walk to him claws extended. their mouths held open wide showing off their cerraded beaks.  
they grip him and pull him down, a familiar one. the witch woman with hundreds of tiny bones hanging around her neck grips his face so he cant look away from image of his sons arms going limp and falling to his sides. she isnt done her hands grips tighter until the sound or his neck snapping fills the room. she rolls the broken vertebrae under his skin with her fingers, smirking before she drops him to the floor.

The woman turns her back on the dead body to look to her daughter. the witch woman grins her thin lips pull back to show off her tinted beak.

" can we eat this one now?"

"quickly."

Before he can scream he finds warm blood spilling down his chest as the witch woman pulls her long nailed finger out of his severed vocal cords. khokenri struggles to get back her human shape, failing. she bleeds out from the many long deep slices inflicted on her by the young one. she tries to push herself up but falls facefirst into the floor. Her mother watches in silent horror at the image. kaiba however smiles as jous eyes flutter openfor moment, he mouths something at kaiba before attempting to let himself fall back asleep.

" you there!"

kaiba has taken back his human shape as he lays jou don om the floor, shouting at khokenris mother. who turns curiously to look at him.

" come here talk to jou, dont let him fall asleep, i have to go get the first aid kit!"

With that kaiba darts off to the kitchen yanking open the cupboard beneath the sink and taking out a white box with a red cross on the front. the woman idly strolls over and settlees down beside jou, slapping his hand every time his eyes close. she watches as Kaiba rolls kho onto her back pouring some liquid from a round brown bottle onto the open wounds. Khokenris eyes quickly flash open as she hisses with pain. looking around kaiba takes one of the blankets off the back of the couck before ripping it into slivers and wrapping them around her wounded legs and feet,which are not quite as damaged as her chest and belly. he lifts her shirt splashing more alcohol onto those wounds, he smirks as she glares at him.

Khokenris mother watches curiously as kaiba threads a needle and of all the weird things, begins to sew khokenris skin closed. kho looks over when she hears the slapping sound of jou not being permitted to rest. Kaiba pluck out thick white square bandages, taping them down onto her various wounds before sliding his arms underneath her and lifting her up off the ground. kaiba carries her off to the remaining vehicle, pausing to look at the black streaks mai left behind in her desperate need to get away. khokneri is set laying down in the back seat before kaiba walks back to pick up jou from his place near khos mother. as kaiba closes the passenger side door he finds the woman staring at him curiously.

"you will keep my khokenri well?"

" I will keep my khokenri well."

She smiles and laughs, this should be insulting but for some reason it is nothing short of hilrious, she pauses placing a hand on her hip as kaiba looks at her mildly bored.

"I am lau lau, chief of my clan. i AM khokenris mother, although i can see why you would think so poorly of me. we do not cling to our children as your people do."

" my people dont cling to anything but tradition and grudges"

"than you are strange even to your people?"

"apparently"

" your strangeness can be good i think. although you do not think much of me, i would like you to know that i think quite differntly of you and your very odd family. if you ever need assistance, do not hesitate to call us, top call for me. you have treated my daughter as if you bore her, as though she is your blood- so i would extend the same to you."

kaiba arcs an eyebrow at her, crossing his arms over his chest. the witch woman walks over from inside the house, wiping blood from her nouth the back of her hand.

"nesik, there you are. i need the yuchae stone."

"...?"

The woman plucks up a small pouch from its place hanging off her hip and hands it over to laulau. laulau opens it and slips in her hand pulling out a gray riverstone with a black marking embedded into it. she rolls it inher hand before holding it out to kaiba

" should require my attention, place this in water and speak. i will hear you."

Kaiba wants to say what a load of crap. its just a rock. but he doesn't he looks at before folding his hand around it before looking just behind her. his eyes go wide

"COGNAC!"  
he rushes past the startled woman over to the large cat laying down near the stream that runs just a few feet from the house. blood on her paws leaves kaiba horrified, he drops down on his knees beside her. one of her eyes opens to peer at him lazily, kaiba quickly pulls his hand off her and crosses his arms over his chest. he glare angrily down at her.

"you little shit! you scared me half to death!"

"mow"

"get up i am not carrying you."

"..."

She makes no attempt to move.

"fine then have it your way."

Kaiba pushes himself back up and dusts of his knees, then turns to walk back to the car. cognac lifts her head and stares at his back with wide eyes.

"MOW"

he pulls open the car door.

"MOWMOWMOWMOW"

Kaiba doesnt say a word just settles down in the drivers seat and opens the glove compartment for the keys. cognac begins to stir, into a lazy sitting position.

"MOWMOW-"

The engine starts. oh no, hes really going to do it.

She bolts across the ground and leaps into the open car door firmly settling down in kaibas lap. he shuts the door grinning widely before slamming the door and driving off, cognac glares upward at kaibas smug face realizing shes been had.

The drive home consists of cognac batting at jou to keep him awake and khokenri rolling in and out of consiousness, they drive with windows down to make it easy for kaiba to hear the distant sound of his babies crying. he follows the sad sound, his ears twitching every now and again. a few hours later they find mais car parked in a gas station lot, she attempts to heard them out of the shop crying all the her arms are bags full various toddler food, all or which bear the giant stamp of gerber. kaiba smirks when he sees mai dropping their soiled clothes into the garbge, its a long a drive and they have very tiny all wear essentially the same item of clothing, white striped shirts and little blue shorts. mai blinks and freezes when she realizes they've stopped crying.  
they all break into run across the gas station driveway to where their mother stands smiling with open arms and great wide smile. mai doesnt see kaiba at first,she drops the bags of food and runs after them in her stilletto heels.

"OH GAWD DONT RUN IN THE STREET!"

Before they can get very far mai managaged to grab sakuya and akira tucking them under her arms. She almost sags with relief as she spots the other three desperately slamming into kaiba with their tiny hugs. kaiba laughs as mai simply stands there staring at him in shock, akira and sakuya wriggling in her arms. he picks up haruka and looks to mai witha tired smile.

"trade you"

He points with thumb to the car in which cognac continuously bats at jous face. mai looks as though might cry as she desperatley nods her head.  
when they arrive back at the kaiba estate almost every member of the house stands near the door, mokuba looks out the window, grinning as he spots the two cars pulling up together.

"THEY'RE HERE!"

deardra hrries over to the door and grimaces, at the way jou sags in his seat, at the way mais makeup is streaked down her face. more importantly the way kaibas face is covered with small scratches and his hair all amiss. bakura leans against the window, not liking the strong smell of blood this time around. malik ishuzu jono and seth all stand together waiting and watching. asuka rushes out in a slight panic, she shoves past honda then turns and runs back inside. when she comes back out as the cars slow to a stop she brings with her two of the butlers and a small train of the other maids.  
the car door opens and the first one out is kaiba, mai waves for the maids to come to her. they hurry over to her, the butlers in tow. asuka looks in both relief and terror at kaibas current state. she walks over to the car and opens the passenger door. andfinds herself just about shoved out of the way as mokuba rushes to see his nieces and nephews.  
"hi! im your uncle mokuba!"

He says it before realizes that four out the five are asleep, akira being the only one awake at the moment looks at him and gives a great wide grin, then begins to struggle in his carseat. kaiba opens the other door and begins to unbuckle akiras tricky seatbelt. as soon as its comes loose mokureaches out and picks him up.

"hiii! im mokuba, whats your name huh?"

Akira quickly clings to mokuba, and says with most prideful of voices.

"ahkeerah"

Atem looks over as he walks out the front door over to the car, kaiba carefully unbuckles and lifts sakuya.

"kaiba, they're beautiful."

"thanks, here hold this one."

With that kaiba slips sakuya into atems arms, where she rests her head on his shoulder and mumbles nonsense on him. deardra hurries forward, not willing to wait any longer, kaiba smiles at her as he unbuckles haruka and carefully passes her over to deadra. she takes the child with something like reverence.

"they're so big, and so beautiful. you have done wonderfully."

honda reaches over from the other side, unbuckeling suna, picking him up and letting him rest across his shoulder.

" are you kidding me? thes guys are tiny, they're the smallest toddlers I've ever seen."

Bakura walks over and looks at mako with a weak smile. kaiba reaches over and unfastens his belt gingerly lifting him up before closing the door. Kaiba looks at bakura for a moment before asking.

"would you like to hold him?"

Nervously bakura seems to debate this in his head for a moment before letting kaiba place him in his arms. with a slight smile kaiba watches as bakura carries mako as though he where made of the most fragile glass.

As they walk inside deardra, looks over haruka and stares for a moment at kaiba.

" your pregnant agin?!"

everyone pauses to stare at kaiba whos face turns redder than red.

" you coulden't keep your hands off eachother for a moment could you!? do you know its not healthy to keep doing this so often."

kaiba just stares at her.

" well its a little late now isn't it, your little books didn't say anything about this so i just thought."

"you didn't think you just did it didn't you?"

Kaiba huff suddenly feeling slightly attacked, in his own house no less.

" you know what, hes gorgeous hes mine and I'll do what i want!"

With that kaiba huffs and marches angrily up the stairs. the others begin to snicker as he disappears around the corner. seth blinks at the man thats supposed to be his mirrored soul, jono snickers from beside him. deardra snorts and tries not to laugh, she might wake the baby. Asuka however looks over to her.

" is it really unhealthy?"

" not so long as we take proper care of him, i just wanted to see what he would say."

The time of their arrival is late, as in the sun is already setting, dinner is held shortly after arrival. only allowing for kaiba and the children to wash up and dress before heading downstairs, the image of his long table completely surrounded is one that throws him off just a little. asuka and the other maids begin plucking up the children and placing them in their high chairs while shooing kaiba back to his seat, insisting that they be allowed to do their jobs. a few moments later khokenri is carried downstairs by one of the butlers and set down in the seat across kaiba and beside mokuba. her wounds have been properly cleaned and dressed, she wears a light purple dress with matching slippers and her hair brought up in a loose bun tied with a white ribbon.  
jou is brought down the stair in a similar fashion, but pushed in a wheelchair from the stairs through the halls and into the dining room where he shoves him self out of his wheelchair and into the chair directly beside kaiba.

" are you feeling alright?"

"yea,"

"what are you smiling about?"

"gorgeous huh?"

"shut up"

A/n:i feel it necessary to tell you i got a new program called zenwriter, its cool and really good at forcing me to sit my ass down and fecking write the story. however i dont like the spellcheck and its not good for exporting documents. so alot of things go kind of wonky in the transfer process. i may keep it or get rid of it i dont know. what program do you use? is it good? i keep trying to get back open office but every time i do i get a all these warning from norton that screech DONT DOOO ITTTT!

also this was supposed to be the final chapter, does not look that way i should be able to finish the next one as the last chapter. i hate myself. so what did you think and im sorry i made you wait


	30. ALLMOTHER

Ch 29

ALL MOTHER

As he looks around the table to find quite so many people fussing over his babies, he finds himself slightly overwhelmed. He fights back the slightly stinging sensation in the corners of his eyes instead he finds himself laughing at the way honda plays peekaboo with suna. The table finds itself silent as haruka looks directly at seth, whose lips curve into a sharp smirk.

"hello little one."

" hullo"

"why do you look at me in such a way?"

" look like mumma"

"...?"

seth only arcs an eyebrow at this comment.

" mummas more purty though."

kaiba huffs at this comment, although seth doesn't seem bothered by it, he simply asks an unrelated question to the child that attempts to scoop up a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

"little one-"

" ha roo kah"

"mm?"

" haruka"

She prods her chest with her free hand before taking a bite of the potatoes that fall off her spoon. Jono snickers, then quickly stifles the sound, seth looks over to kaiba who looks at her mildly amusedly.

"haruka then, how old are you?"

she stares at him with the spoon still in her mouth, she looks up in thought for a moment before holding out her hand and showing three fingers.

"what a very smart girl you are"

she looks over to him dipping the spoon back in the small pile of potatoes.

"not a girl"

Seth quirks an eyebrow at this, bakura finds himself listening rather intently along with everyone else. Curious as to how haruka thinks of herself. Jono smiles as he watches seth verbally prod at haruka.

" my apologies, what a very smart boy you are."

"not a boy"

" oh? If you are neither a boy or girl than what are you? What do I call you?"

The spoon is placed back on her plate as she seems to mull this over a moment before smiling rather brightly.

"im mummas baby. I'm me- haruka is me!"

Seths laugh is a deep baritone sound, that comes from deep in his chest. Jono smiles up at him then watches as haruka picks up a green bean and begins munching on one end. When seth finally quiets he looks to kaiba who reaches over and tucks a lock of hair behind harukas ear while she gnaws on the green bean.

" you have raised her with a spectacular sense of self. I rarely see even adults who could say as much as your little one."

Just as kaiba turns to respond , a loud boom resounds throughout the house, then again and again. They all find themselves staring at the door. Asuka leers forward as she quickly leaves the room to answer the door. A cement thick tension settle into the room, making it hard to breathe. Seth finds himself with the sinking feeling of dread settling into his stomach, looking around he finds that bakura has decided to slip out of the room. Silence pervades the air, making the little hairs on the back of kaibas neck stand up, he tilts his head slightly to the side as he strains his ears to listen to the possible goings on.

Jou finds himself searching kaibas expression for any clue of what he hears, blue eyes snap open and he finds himself staring in a restrained panic at the kitchen door. Seconds later bakura bursts through slamming his back up against the wall, his chest heaving eyes wide and wild.

"They're everywhere! Were surrounded!"

He stares at Kaiba in horror before asking in a half yell.

" how may of you are there!?"

Kaiba quickly moves out of his chair and begins removing the children from their chairs, Mai quickly standing up and unbuckling the ones closest to her. The others scramble around the table unsure of quite what to do until they hear something between a roar and a bloodcurdling shriek. Kaiba picks up haruka and suna placing them in jous lap, he hands mako and akira to mai and shoves sakuya into mokubas arms.

"ISONO!"

He runs into the room, his face beading with sweat and his gun drawn, he looks through his dark lenses to kaiba.

" take them to the basement- now!"

" love!? What are you doing?"

Jou looks shouts to kaiba as one of the butlers quickly steps up behind him and begins pushing him away. Kaiba moves for the door only to have deardra snatch hold of his wrist.

" you cant go out there! You-"

He whips his arms away from her pushing her into the grip of one of the many body guards who pick her up and carry her along with jou mokuba and mai to the bomb shelter that lays beneath the mansion. Again he moves for the door, pausing when he finds bakura moving to follow him, he whips around to face the spirit, for once incredibly grateful to see him.

" stay with them, they need you more than I do."

Bakura seems to struggle with this before simply nodding and bolting after the guard that carries khokenri off, he is followed by ishuzu malik honda and otogi. Once again he reaches for the door only have his legs almost knocked out from under him.

"MYOW!"

Cognac head buts his knee and attempts to push him backward, only to wind up walking in place. Sighing kaiba reaches down to pick up the large cat

" you cant be here it isn't safe for you."

With that he places her into the kitchen and wedges a chair under the doorknob then bolts out the dining room door finally unhindered.

Seth moves along with Atem to follow Kaiba out the door, having sent jono along with the others. They find themselves tailing after the hint of a shadow he leaves behind in his hurry to get outside. When they finally find him, he is standing stock still staring with wide eyes, horror stuck. The front door is slammed open, the center split deeply. Splinters strewn all over the floor. In front of the broken door is syrupy thick crimson blood seeping into the carpet, staring up at him with empty eyes is asuka. Her torso is thrown against the wall, her intestines spilled out across the puddle of blood looking like something akin to an abandoned rope. Her spinal cord pokes out from beneath the base of her torn open stomach, random vertebrae completely disconnected. Kaiba carefully steps out, avoiding stepping on any piece of her, he finds pieces of her thrown here and there. More importantly he finds what appears to be an ocean of them. The people he had helped care for, for so long. The entirety of the clan he once belonged to leering at him through their neon yellow eyes, at the very front there he is. Helios.

Looking as though he hadn't slept in years, his sanity is weak and it shows.

Kaiba just stares at him in disgust and shame, boiling beneath the ocean of sorrow in him is fury like hes never felt before. Asuka who loved him and cared for him and Mokuba for so long, gone. And in such a way. Torn apart. He finds he doesn't care if they see him, with the stinging tears burning a trail down his face, he doesn't care because he cant feel it. Tears flow freely , his brow furrows, his mouth pressed into a thin line- til the corner curls in a familiar sneer at Helios.

"really now? Crying for your maid? How soft have you gone."

He raises one hand pressing his middle finger and thumb together, he grins at Kaiba.

"I don't care any more, about the laws. I believe our people forgive me, for this. I simply cannot allow this travesty to continue."

He snaps his fingers and the entirety of the mob behind him surges forward. Kaiba braces himself for a completely unfair fight, but seth raises up the millennium rod and the front lines quickly turn about face and begin pushing the rest of the crowd backward. They hack and claw biting and roaring at each other. Helios jerks his face to the side to turn and see what stopped them, seth stands with his arms crossed over his chest and his brow deeply furrowed in concentration. The sound of then screaming in pain behind helios causes shivers to run up his spine, he hears the sound of bodies hitting the floor. Atem not wanting to see any more of it steps forward and bellows at Helios.

" call them off! Before they all die!these are your people! How can allow them to be slaughtered like this!?"

" I am not the one murdering them, he is."

Helios points with his chin to Seth, who doesn't make an attempt to say different.

" you can save so many live, if you will just die, you and your little abominations"

Kaiba sneers looking over the thinning crowd and then back to Helios.

" why are those lives worth saving?"

It happens before anyone can so much as blink, Helios lunges forward toward Seth, Atem jumps in front of him, but then Helios jumps backward. His long arms whip outward grabbing hold of Kaiba by his throat and with his other hand he presses his outstretched claws against Kaibas slightly protruding belly. Atem glares at helios, unsure of how to stop him, a mind break might not work fast enough, Kaiba doesn't care much about the hand around his throat. Its the claws over his belly that put him in submission.

" see, even with all you damnable little humans, you still-"

"RELEASE HIM"

The voice booms from somewhere over the house, the lot of them all turn to look, at the figure standing on the rooftop, slowly stepping forward. Till she steps again and lands down on the lawn on all fours,like a panther on the prowl. She stands upright again, stiffly as though the posture was foreign to her. Her figure is unhindered by any covering, despite the exposure of her voluptuous body Helios finds himself staring at the golden glow that emanates from her wide almond shaped eyes. Behind him the sounds of a small way fade until they mute, helios hands slip away from kaiba who quickly steps away from him.

" you..."

Helios looks at her as though he did believe she could possibly exist, but she does, her deeply unhappy eyes focused on him. Kaiba finds a nagging in the back of his head as he looks at her, with her long chocolate colored hair that rolls down her back. Cream colored skin every where but for the tips of her fingers and the back of her hands, those as well are the color of her hair.

" you disappoint me, my dear grandson."

Shame quickly finds its way into him, he turns away from her, but cannot. Her delicate hands rech out and hold his chin forcing him to look at her. It resonates in everyone, the way she feels, such sorrow and so much more. Her eyes lock to his as she speaks.

"my heart died, so that you children could prosper. It is in our blood that we lay down our laws, he laid down his life so that you might understand the bond of blood. You predecessors would never do such a thing, your love your wife she defended them with all of herself. She brought me honor, she gave me such hope for you. You do not know the bond of blood, you bore no children, how could you ever hope to know the bond of heart that my dear Bludghard(blood guard) has forged with his lover. That is worth defending, his strength of heart is one you could never hope to understand. But you will understand this. It took the allfather to spill his blood, to give birth to your clan."

She steps away turning her back to Helios who looks at her in a hushed panic as she reaches out with one delicate hand to Seth. He looks at her with a sad understanding as she closes her hand around the millennium rod unsheathing its hidden blade. She turns back to Helios, the blade held firmly in both hands.

"this blade was forged, with a great and powerful magic, great and dark. I will use this blade to spill my blood, with that I sanctify anyone of Bludghards line to be of his clan. In this I place a curse, I place all of my spirit and all of my soul my fury and strength, I will guard this clan in eternity."

With that final statement she quickly slams the blade down into her chest, her face does not show the pain that it causes. Her blood is ruby red, glittering down her body as it spill down the curves of her flesh. She twists the blade and shoves it deeper, letting out a sharp gasp, her eyes flutter for a moment before she falls to her knees. Kaiba quickly darts forward, catching her before she can hit the floor.

" cognac..."

Allmother looks at him giving him a slightly cheeky smile, her laugh is weak and dry.

" yea..."

Her eyes fall closed, Kaiba can stop the torrent of tears that ensues. He blinks in confusion as her veins turn red and begin flowing upward, converging at the intersection of her flesh and the golden blade. Her skin turns paler and paler still. After a moment she becomes translucent then fades to nothing. The blade fall into Kaibas lap clean and unscathed. He looks suddenly away from the offending item and finds only Atem and Seth standing next to him, Helios and his people nowhere to be found and never to be seen again.

a/n: it will be completed post con okay, have some mercy on me im trying so hard here


	31. the clan of bludghard

CH 30.

THE CLAN OF BLUDGHARD

In the days that pass there is little time to mourn the loss of cognac. Although her absence is ever present. Kaiba sighs as he opens the bathroom door and looks down to where the tile meets the carpet. Where she would usually be laying as she waited for him. Strange as she was customarily unmovable, but followed kaiba everywhere- insisting to be carried. The pain lingers, in him and even more so in Jounouchi. He watches as Jou lays still sleeping in bed, how much did it hurt him to lose what he considered his baby for so long. Honey colored eyes flicker open and look at kaiba from across the room.

" whats wrong love?"

Kaiba looks back to the spot of carpet where she would be, rubbing up against his calf, begging to be carried back to bed.

"... I don't know what to do with out her following me around the house..."

"you move faster"

"?"

Kaiba blinks and looks at Jou confused. Jou shifts on the bed into a sitting position and motions for kaiba to come closer. Sighing again Kaiba plops back down on the bed and presses his back against Jous chest.

" she used to always get in the way, remember? You always complained that she made everything to hard to do."

"...I didn't mean it."

" yes you did, you just miss her. That's okay but you can't stay sad, she isn't really gone anyway, we just can't see her anymore. Like Moonlace, you saw the garden didn't you?"

" I know.."

" she wanted us to be safe, left in peace so we could be happy. We need to be happy or else our kids will wonder whats wrong, they don't want us to be sad."

Kaiba looks up from his place puddled in Jous lap and grumbles.

"besides today is a special day isn't it? You can't possibly be sad today."

Kaibas vision shifts from the ceiling down the window and walls to the bedside table, where a shoebox sized wooden box lays innocently waiting. Behind the box sits a white and blue baby monitor, loudly echoing the sound rolling rustling sheets small mumbles and a bit of snoring. He feels it, a smile tugging at his lips, he looks up to Jou grinning and suddenly feeling a knot of nervousness roll around in his belly like a cannon ball loose on the deck of a ship. Jou smirks at Kaiba and places his chin on Kaibas shoulder.

"you can't sleep now can you?"

"..."

Hot breath falls on his earlobe and down his neck, sending a series of chills racing down his spine. Cool lips press to his pale skin and graze down to his collar bone where jous tongue flicks out lashing over the dip in his collarbone.

"suya..."

Kaiba slides his arms over Jous shoulders and tips his head head back allowing Jou to plunder the delicate flesh of his sensitive neck. Jous wide hands begin to wander over Kaibas body, peeling the offending garments of his sleepwear away from his delectable flesh. Kaiba allows himself to be placed on his back, jous lips drag down his chest and the curve of his rounded belly, biting at the hem of his pants. Just as kaiba begins to feel a familiar stirring in his groin a loud grumbling can be heard from the monitor. Jou sits up and sort of stares at the device before a single small voice is heard over the sounds of sleep.

"mmm, mah mah, mah maaah. Maaah maaah!"

With a loud huff kaiba lets go of jou and picks up the white shirt that was peeled off of him a moment ago. Jou watched longingly as kaiba slips away.

" don't look at me like that, and get up they'll all be a wake by the time I get there."

" I suppose its good to get an early start to the day..."

Jou slips off the edge of bed and drops a kiss to Kaibas cheek before walking with him out the door and around the corner of the hallway. As they near the nursery they find another door opening down the hall, and the familiar face of khokenri peeking out to them.

" mnnn?"

" we got it, go back to sleep."

"mmmhmmm"

Her door shuts and the soft thump of her body hitting her bed can be heard a moment later. Kaiba smiles to himself as he enters the nursery to find a pair of bright eyes peeking at him from underneath a large fluffy blanket. On the small bed beside this one another pair of sleep eyes stares over to jou and kaiba entering the room.

" appool?"

Kaiba huffs slightly as he plops down on Akiras bed, who looks at him grinning from ear to ear. His frazzled hair is exposed when he throws the blanket off himself and flings himself onto kaibas tender chest. He winces and swallows the noise he almost made, he lifts akira up off his sore chest and sets him instead onto his lap, where he bounces in place.

" appool? Appool?"

" no apples, its not time to wake up yet, you need to go back to sleep, what are you doing awake anyway?"

Akira simply shrugs his tiny shoulders before reaching up and patting kaibas cheek .

"appool time cause I awake!"

Kaiba quirks an eyebrow at the boy bouncing with glee in his lap.

" thats not how it works and you know it, jou-"

Kaiba turns to ask for assistance only to find jou flopped onto his back with three of the children flopped onto various parts of him.

" how do you do that?"

Stopping to think he smiles as he looks at akira again and pats down the lifted tufts of shiny black hair.

" if you can wake up your dad you can have an apple."

with that Akira leaps off of Kaibas lap and scrambles over to jou, who wraps an arm around the tiny boy and flips him onto the bed amidst the mass of other tiny sleeping forms. Akiras small body is held firmly in place by the weight of Jous muscular arm being slung over him. He wriggles and squirms for freedom only to find the mass amount of warmth making his eyelids heavy.

"trickses mah mah"

With a smug looking grin Kaiba stands up to leave only to find large eyes staring at him from the bed nearest the door. Half lidded and still heavy with sleep. Haruka reaches out with one small hand for kaiba to come over. She pulls her blanket up and pats the space next to her.

" mama, you no sleeping alone. You get cold."

Her voice is small and slightly slurred with tiredness, rather than argue with her Kaiba simply slips in under the thick covers next to her and sleep away the remaining two hours until sunrise

Several hours later Kaiba finds himself standing at the front door to his house with jou beside him, both looking over the group of people standing out in front of them. Mokuba steps forward with the small wooden box and opens the lid. With a slight swallow Kaiba looks firstly to Bakura , wordlessly calling him forward. Bakura resists the urge glance over and look into the box, instead focusing his gaze directly on kaibas own.

" Bakura, you have given of yourself where you did not have to. You guarded my family my children and myself. I wish to show you how grateful I am for being where you where needed..."

Kaiba reaches forward with one slender hand into the small wooden box sitting in mokubas hands. An old blade sits therin, looking insidious in his beautiful hands. A black blade embedded into the hollow of a bone and wrapped with red leather. Bakura fells his stomach drop like a lead weight at the sight of it, unsure of why it frightens him so.

" I am Bludghard, I wish to extend to you mine own blood."

With that he brings the slate black blade down to his palm and whips it across his flesh. He curls his hand allowing his ruby blood to pool in his palm.

" so that I might call you brother, a part of this clan."

Bakura feels his eyes fly open and his heart lock itself in his throat. He opens his mouth to speak but can find neither his voice nor appropriate words. Its evident on his face, his shock and amazement.

" will you accept my gift?"

Bakura gives a jerky nod unsure of how to say yes with actual words. Jou reaches out and lift bakuras hand, palm up for Kaiba to dash the blade across before placing his palm down over it. A moment later bakura finds himself with deardra wrapping his hand and beaming at him with pride. Kaiba calls for Atem, who also accepts the gift, afterward he is followed by Khokenri then by Deardra.

" Mai Kujaku, will you accept my gift. Become our family?"

Her eyes fly open and she gawks at them unsure if she heard correctly, she places a hand on her chest to clarify that they are indeed talking to her.

" me? You want me too?"

Hot tears sting at the corners of her eyes before spilling freely over her face, she tries to blink them away. To no avail, instead she locates her slightly quaky voice.

" but why. I haven't-"

Maiba can hear her insecurity, every bit of it along with the sound her heart racing a mile a minute.

" Because, you behave like family, you saved our children. I can not begin to tell you how grateful we are that you where so willing to defend them, to be where we needed you. You didn't question or ask for anything in return, you where scared for them and I could feel it in you. I can tell you now, it would be our honor to call you a part of our small clan, our little family."

Jou smiles and reaches out for her and says.

" come on mai, get over here!"

She walks over to them and lays her hand into Jous , trying to stop herself from crying as Kaiba slips the blade over her palm. She doesn't feel it when her flesh opens, only an immense warmth when kaibas hand presses down over hers. Suddenly her shoulders shake with torrents of tears spilling from her, she bites her lip to stifle herself. As she squeezes her eyes tightly shut, she feels a soft warmth on her forehead. She looks and finds Kaiba placing a kiss on her forehead, he squeezes her hand, then places his free arm around her in a gentle hug.

Jou can't help but smile, knowing that this must mean more to her than anyone else here. Not even a proper member of her own family, worse than not having one at all. As they pull apart Deardra quickly shuffle forward to clean and wrap Mais hand. Kaiba smiles while he watches her go and stand beside Bakura who still appears slightly dazed. He watches the small milling crowd of his... family while Deardra cleans and dresses his palm finally.

Glittering overhead is the millennium rod embedded into the surface of the manor over the front door looking down on them with approval. Soco bounds through and herds the children back towards the door, he turns around and snaps up akira by the back of his overalls and carries him back inside before he can wander out of sight. The image of it makes both kaiba and jou laugh so hard they have to lean on each other to not fall over.

As the others wander inside, kaiba finds himself alone, looking up at the glittering metal over his doorway. He smiles sadly for a moment.

" thank you cognac, thank you so much, for all of them."

For the first time ever the Kaiba estate is flooded with warmth and filled with the sound of laughter. Kaiba looks in before thinking to himself.

" I'm home."

the end

A/N: i know it took me forever to get to this chapter and im so sorry the lot of you had to wait so freaking long for it but if you did wait for it you have my heart! and i love you from now to forever thanks for your support and i hope you enjoyed the ride


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